Kathmandu, February 14

Although major parties had dropped a hint a few days ago that some sort of deal would be reached between the major parties and the agitating United Democratic Madhes Front, both sides, however, have not held any talks since then.

UDMF leaders said they were expecting a call for dialogue from   the major parties yesterday and today but they did not get any. “Even today we were expecting talks with the major parties,” said Sadbhawana Party Co-chair Laxman Lal Karna.

Vice-chair of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, who is also a member of the UDMF task force, said the major parties had hinted that they would resolve things before the PM embarked on India visit on February 19, but since talks were not happening, he was not sure that such a deal would be reached soon.

Tripathi said the UDMF’s demands were related to major changes in the structure of the state.

“These three parties are not ready to address our demands because they want to maintain the hegemony of their group,” Tripathi said, adding, “The only difference between PM Oli and other leaders of the major parties is that PM Oli makes caustic remarks against our demands and others refrain from making such remarks.”

Tripathi and Karna said the government and the major parties were not serious about addressing Madhes concerns through dialogue.

Tripathi said the PM wanted to show that some kind of deal was reached with Madhesi forces before he embarked on Indian visit but the PM was not serious about seeking negotiated settlement of the issues.

Karna and Tripathi said the two task forces had been debating the terms of reference for a political mechanism to be formed to settle the question of provincial boundaries for last few days.

“We want the ToR to be included in the annex of the constitution,” Tripathi said, adding, “ToR must have constitutional validity.”

Karna said the UDMF wanted the major parties to agree to state in the ToR that there would be two provinces in Madhes as stated in the reports of the erstwhile State Restructuring Commission and thematic committee of the first Constituent Assembly.

The major parties, Karna added, only talk of treating the reports of these two bodies as reference points.

Karna said the danger of treating the reports of these two bodies merely as reference point was that they might not accept the recommendations of these two bodies.

Tripathi said the proposal to settle the question of provincial boundaries through a political mechanism was basically a proposal of the major parties and since the UDMF had accepted their proposal, the major parties needed to accept UDMF’s ToR to satisfy the front.

He said the major parties had told the UDMF negotiators that they would soon reach an understanding among themselves but that had not been done.

Prime minister’s Press Adviser Pramod Dahal said the government was preparing to form a political mechanism today but since the major parties and the government were busy doing other important things today, they could not do so.

Dahal, however, said a political mechanism was likely to be formed before the PM embarked on India visit. “All issues related to Madhes movement will be solved before the PM embarks on India visit,” Dahal added.