Major political parties have taken the return of the agitating parties to Parliament as a positive development toward resolving the issue through talks.
Lawmakers from the eight agitating parties -- Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN), Tarai-Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP), Sadbhavana Party, Tarai-Madhes Sadbhavana Party, Tharuhat Tarai Party Nepal, Dalit Janajati Party, Federal Democratic National Forum and Nepali Janta Dal -- obstructed parliamentary procedings after FSFN leader Ashok Rai addressed the meeting on behalf of all the agitating parties.
Speaker Onsari Ghari adjourned the House until Monday after lawmakers from the eight agitating parties took to sloganeering.
Agitating parties urge Oli to create environment for talks
Addressing in the House, Rai accused the government of trying to escape from talks and suppress the protestors.
"We, the agitating parties, are very serious about the difficulties caused by the prolonged agitation and therefore want a solution through talks but the government is never serious," said Rai. "Though some rounds of negotiations had create a conducive situation, the government immediately vitiated the atmosphere."
He accused the government of vitiating the atmosphere for talks by killing a protestor in Birgunj last week. Rai, however, was confused as to whether the youth, an Indian national, was a protestor or an innocent bystander. Initially describing the deceased as a protestor, Rai later said he should be taken as an innocent bystander.
He demanded that the government provide relief to the families of those killed during the protests and provide medical treatment for the injured. He also said the government should be ready to amend the constitution as demanded by the agitating parties.
Before the agitating parties obstructed House proceedings, leaders from the major political parties described the former's return to the House as a welcome development and urged the government to capitalize on the situation for ending the crisis.
The disgruntled parties had boycotted parliamentary meetings ever since the major parties moved to promulgate the new constitution. The agitating parties had only attended the House meeting for electing KP Sharma Oli as prime minister. They voted for Nepali Congress (NC) candidate Sushil Koirala.
NC leader Ram Chandra Poudel emphasized the need for the ruling parties, the opposition side and the agitating parties to come together to address the national crisis.
"It is a welcome development that lawmakers from the agitating parties have today joined this House meeting. Now, all sides need to sit for talks and seek a solution from this very House," said Poudel. "Once we start going elesewhere in search of a solution, the situation will only get further complicated."
He demanded that the government take the constitution amendment bill forward without further delay so as to address the concerns of the disgruntled parties.
Lawmakers from the ruling parties -- Rajendra Pandey of CPN-UML, Shri Jabegu of UCPN (Maoist) and Sunil Kumar Shrestha of Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal (RPP-N) -- stressed resolving the dispute through talks between the two sides. "Parliament is the right place. Let's sit for talks and negotiate how we can save the country from this crisis," said Pandey.
Shrestha, for his party, urged the government leadership to take serious initiatives for result-oriented talks so as to bring to an end the blackmarketeering that has become rampant in recent weeks.
