Dahal proposes parliamentary panel to resolve Madhes issue

Madhesi parties term it a ploy to dillydally

KATHMANDU, Nov 19: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has proposed that a parliamentary committee be formed to find solution on the issues raised by agitating Madhes-based parties.

However leaders from the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) during the talks on Wednesday rejected Dahal’s proposal arguing that it was yet another ploy to dillydally over meeting their demands.
The talks, that were much-hyped as ‘decisive’ in resolving the crisis, ended inconclusively as the Madhesi leaders insisted on finding a solution in a package and withoutany further delay.

NABIN KHATIWADA AND
ASHOK DAHAL
KATHMANDU, Nov 18

UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has proposed that a parliamentary committee be formed to find solution on the issues raised by agitating Madhes-based parties.
However leaders from the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) during the talks on Wednesday rejected Dahal’s proposal arguing that it was yet another ploy to dillydally over meeting their demands.
The talks, that were much-hyped as ‘decisive’ in resolving the crisis, ended inconclusively as the Madhesi leaders insisted on finding a solution in a package and without any further delay.
“I had initially floated an informal proposal for addressing the disputes on provincial boundaries in a phase-wise manner, but they rejected it and demanded a package deal,” said Dahal while emerging from the talks at Singha Durbar on Wednesday. “I, then, came up with a new proposal to form a parliamentary committee or a political committee comprising top leaders to discuss the major issues of the ongoing protests. The main objective of my proposal is to avoid political confrontation.”
Agitating parties however termed Dahal’s proposal as a tactic to delay the solution. “We don’t accept this proposal. They did not need any committee when they delineated seven provinces from initial agreement of six provinces but they now want such a committee to address the issue of Madhes,” said Tarai-Madhes Democratic Party Vice-Chairman Hridayesh Tripathi. “The proposal has come with an ill-intention of dillydallying over our demands.”
Though Dahal, the coordinator of the High-Level Political Committee of the ruling coalition, intensified informal meetings with political and civil society leaders for the last two days, Wednesday’s talks could not yield any substantive result toward ending the ongoing crisis.
“The ruling coalition still didn’t come up with a concrete proposal on addressing our demands. On the other hand, the main opposition Nepali Congress did not attend the talks further complicating the matter,” said Tripathi.
“It was just a talks over tea and biscuits. The government side has still not taken our demands seriously,” said Upendra Yadav, the chairman of the Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal.
The Madhesi leaders lamented that neither the parties in government nor the main opposition NC are serious about resolving the issues concerning Madhes. A leader involved in the negotiations said that the factional equations within the major ruling parties have added to complications.
“The NC has failed to seize this opportunity due to lack of a decisive leadership in the grand old party,” said an interlocutor from a Madhesi party. He found Dahal putting some efforts to utilize the opportunity. “But he [Dahal] is handicapped by double-standards as he commits himself to one thing with us and does something else once he interacts with the ruling parties,” said the leader.
Madhesi leaders smelt a rat when the CPN-UML senior leader Jhalanath Khanal indicated that the government might use force if Madhesi parties resorted to more aggressive protests. The Madhesi leaders strongly objected to his statements then and there. Then Khanal said he didn’t intend to threaten the agitating parties.
The Madhesi leaders said Khanal’s statement indicates that a section of UML doesn’t want to see Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli succeeding in resolving this crisis. However, leaders from both sides have said that they would sit for another round of negotiations anytime soon.
“We have urged the ruling parties to invite us for the next round of talks only after working out a clear proposal on our demands. We are always ready for talks,” said Yadav.
Law and Justice Minister Agni Kharel said they will first hold meetings with the main opposition and other ruling political parties and then call the agitating parties for next round of talks. “We have also asked them to change the mode of their protest and stop obstructions at Nepal-India border checkpoints,” said Kharel.
However, Yadav said the protest will continue until a deal is finalized.

“I had initially floated an informal proposal for addressing the disputes on provincial boundaries in a phase-wise manner, but they rejected it and demanded a package deal,” said Dahal while emerging from the talks at Singha Durbar on Wednesday. “I, then, came up with a new proposal to form a parliamentary committee or a political committee comprising top leaders to discuss the major issues of the ongoing protests. The main objective of my proposal is to avoid political confrontation.”

Agitating parties however termed Dahal’s proposal as a tactic to delay the solution. “We don’t accept this proposal. They did not need any committee when they delineated seven provinces from initial agreement of six provinces but they now want such a committee to address the issue of Madhes,” said Tarai-Madhes Democratic Party Vice-Chairman Hridayesh Tripathi. “The proposal has come with an ill-intention of dillydallying over our demands.”

Though Dahal, the coordinator of the High-Level Political Committee of the ruling coalition, intensified informal meetings with political and civil society leaders for the last two days, Wednesday’s talks could not yield any substantive result toward ending the ongoing crisis.

“The ruling coalition still didn’t come up with a concrete proposal on addressing our demands. On the other hand, the main opposition Nepali Congress did not attend the talks further complicating the matter,” said Tripathi.

“It was just a talks over tea and biscuits. The government side has still not taken our demands seriously,” said Upendra Yadav, the chairman of the Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal.

The Madhesi leaders lamented that neither the parties in government nor the main opposition NC are serious about resolving the issues concerning Madhes. A leader involved in the negotiations said that the factional equations within the major ruling parties have added to complications.

“The NC has failed to seize this opportunity due to lack of a decisive leadership in the grand old party,” said an interlocutor from a Madhesi party. He found Dahal putting some efforts to utilize the opportunity. “But he [Dahal] is handicapped by double-standards as he commits himself to one thing with us and does something else once he interacts with the ruling parties,” said the leader.

Madhesi leaders smelt a rat when the CPN-UML senior leader Jhalanath Khanal indicated that the government might use force if Madhesi parties resorted to more aggressive protests. The Madhesi leaders strongly objected to his statements then and there. Then Khanal said he didn’t intend to threaten the agitating parties.
The Madhesi leaders said Khanal’s statement indicates that a section of UML doesn’t want to see Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli succeeding in resolving this crisis.

However, leaders from both sides have said that they would sit for another round of negotiations anytime soon.
“We have urged the ruling parties to invite us for the next round of talks only after working out a clear proposal on our demands. We are always ready for talks,” said Yadav.

Law and Justice Minister Agni Kharel said they will first hold meetings with the main opposition and other ruling political parties and then call the agitating parties for next round of talks. “We have also asked them to change the mode of their protest and stop obstructions at Nepal-India border checkpoints,” said Kharel.

However, Yadav said the protest will continue until a deal is finalized.