KATHMANDU, Nov 2: Talks between the government and the agitating Madhes-based parties on Sunday took a positive turn after they agreed to settle the issue of provincial delineation through broader consensus between the ruling coalition, agitating parties and the opposition parties including the main opposition Nepali Congress.
Leaders from both sides termed Sunday's talks fruitful following the meeting between the government talks team and the talks team formed by the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) at the party office of the Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN) in Kathmandu.
"We have expressed commitment that their demand on provincial delineation would be addressed by the government through the building of necessary political consensus. The political consensus will be used to settle the issue of provincial delineation through a constitutional process," said Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa, who heads the government talks team.
"The government recognizes their demands on provincial delineation. However, a government decision alone cannot be enough to settle the issue. For settling it, there should be a consensus between the government, the agitating parties and opposition parties including Nepali Congress. We have presented them a clear roadmap," Thapa added.
The Madhes-based parties are demanding that there should be only two provinces in Tarai-Madhes — a Madhes province from Jhapa to Parsa and a Tharuhat province from Nawalparasi to Kanchanpur. On the other hand, the ruling coalition has to date been proposing to settle the delineation issue through the formation of a designatged commission.
Madhes-based leaders have taken the government's commitment to settle the issue at the political level through a constitutional process as a positive sign toward addressing their demands.
"They have told us that they are positive toward the agenda of changing the provincial delineation. In their own words, forming a commission to settle provincial delineation has no meaning now and the issue should be settled at a political level. We have taken this positively," said FSFN leader Lal Babu Raut, who is also a member of the UDMF talks team.
"They have also told us that they will call the next meeting soon after making necessary arrangements for developing political consensus," he added.
Minister for General Administration Rekha Sharma, a member of the talks team, said that both sides agreed to initiate and create an environment for developing broader political consensus for settling the delineation issue.
According to Sharma, the government has also given formal and written commitments to provide reparations to the families of those who died in the protests and bear all the expenses for the treatment of the injured. Likewise, the government has assured the UDMF talks team that unfounded cases against the arrested protestors would be withdrawn.
Earlier, UDMF had threatened to walk out of the talks if the government team failed to present a concrete proposal on their demand for changing the provincial delineation.
UDMF to intensify protest
Although talks between the government and Madhes-based parties on Sunday took a positive turn, a meeting of the UDMF has decided to further intensify the protests against the government.
A meeting of the Front held in Janakpur on Sunday took the decision to this effect. A statement issued by UDMF said it has decided to step up protests as the government has remained reluctant to address the demands of Madhesi, indigenous and ethnic communities, Dalits, Muslims and Tharus, among other marginalized groups. They held the meeting just before representatives of UDMF held talks with the government in the capital.
“UDMF will further intensify its strikes, highway obstructions and protests at border points, and shut down industries, government offices and financial institutions in the coming days,” reads the statement. “A large number of protestors will be mobilized to make the protests sterner.”
The Front has also demanded waiver of interests on loans and penalties faced by Madhesi people and industrialists during the protests.
Published on: My Republica (November 2, 2015)
