Madhesi Front rejects Thapa-led mechanism

KATHMANDU: The agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front on Friday said it would not accept a political mechanism formed by the government to settle the issues of demarcation of Pradeshes as demanded by the Front.

The government on Thursday had formed the 11-member committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa.

Issuing a statement a day after formation of the committee from a Cabinet meeting, leaders of constituents of the seven-party alliance said the panel would be unable to address their demands as it was formed unilaterally.

The government decision to form the committee did not have an intention of solving the current problems, but just a bid to make Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's India trip successful, they argued.

The committee was supposed to get all its members through political consensus among all parties including the agitating Front.

Mangal Siddhi Manandhar of Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal, Surendra Tiwari of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, Laxman Lal Karna of Sadbhawana Party, Ram Naresh Raya Yadav of Tarai-Madhes Sadbhawana Party, Keshav Jha of National Madhes Socialist Party, Mohammad Sabbir Khan of Nepal Sadbhawana Party and Paramesh Sah of Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Republican have signed the document.