UDMF forms taskforce for people's mobilization

KATHMANDU, Jan 24: Stating that it is essential to mobilize the people for the sake of federalism, inclusiveness and the new constitution, the ruling United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), an alliance of five Madhesi parties, has formed a five-member taskforce to chalk out a program for people´s mobilization in districts across the Tarai.

Unveiling the decisions of the two-day meeting on Thursday, top-brass of Madhes-based political parties said that a taskforce comprising Senior Vice-chairman of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D) Rameshwor Raya Yadav, Vice-chairman of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) Brikhesh Chandra Lal, MPRF-Republican leader BP Yadav, TMDP-Nepal Vice-chairman Braj Kishor Singh and Sadbhawana Party General Secretary Manish Kumar Singh is entrusted with formulating the program. [break]

"We took the decision to launch people´s mobilization program in order to take Madhesi issues to the public and protect the achievements of the Madhes movement," said Rameshwor Raya.

When asked about the nature of their proposed program, he said the taskforce would finalize it within a couple of days.

Photo: Bijay Rai

Concluding that fresh Constituent Assembly (CA) polls is the only way out of the present political “conflict” and deadlock, UDMF has appealed to all the political parties to forge a package deal on election.

The Madhesi alliance has maintained that the previously agreed-upon and disputed issues in the new constitution should be owned as they are. UDMF has also urged the president to approve ordinances forwarded by government.

"The work performance of constitutional bodies including the judiciary, Election Commission, Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority and Public Service Commission have been affected as several ordinances have been shelved [by the office of president]. So, the meeting urges the president to approve the ordinances at the earliest," reads the press statement issued by the Madhesi alliance.

UDMF has also asked the government to address the issue of bulk recruitment of Madhesi youths in the Nepal Army (NA) and citizenship, among other issues raised in the four-point agreement reached between the UCPN (Maoist) and UDMF in August 2011.

Photo: Bijay Rai

Addressing the press conference, MPRF-D Chairman Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar, who is also the deputy prime minister and home minister, stated that the Baburam Bhattarai-led government should continue until political parties reach a package deal on all issues.

TMDP Chairman Mahantha Thakur said that they would continue their struggle until the issues raised by Madhesi parties are met. "The present deadlock persists as the UCPN (Maoist) and Nepali Congress are reluctant to accept each other," he maintained.