Kathmandu, March 11

Leaders associated with the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front submitted a seven-point memorandum to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli urging him to address the 11-point demands of the front at the earliest.

The front threatened to launch a fiercer and decisive movement if its demands were not met before mid-April.

In the four-page memorandum, the UDMF demanded to carve out two provinces in the Tarai/Madhes, with full autonomy to both.

It also sought inclusive representation of all the communities in all organs of the state. The front demanded to delineate constituencies on the basis of population and to retain the proportion of mixed election system ensured in the Interim Constitution.

The front said each province should at least have one seat in the Upper House and the rest should be based on the population.

The front also demanded that the appointments at all levels of judiciary be made on the basis of inclusive representation and multi-language policy be adopted at all three levels of governance-central, provincial and local.

UDMF also demanded to ensure inclusive representation in all security agencies, including the Nepali Army, and their democratisation. It also demanded that the country should be defined as a country of multi-nationalities.

The front demanded martyrdom status for those killed during the protest and compensation for the victims’ families.

It also demanded free treatment for the injured persons and monthly allowance for the protesters who were disabled due to use of lethal force.

The front urged the government to immediately withdraw cases against its cadres and probe the incidents of killings that took place during the protests.

The UDMF also urged the government to become sensitive towards the plight of the earthquake victims and to end black-marketing of fuel and other essential commodities.

It demanded to waive tax for the agitation period and penalties levied on people for failure to pay their dues during the agitation period.

Meanwhile, the PM issued a directive to the authorities concerned to provide free treatment to those injured the protests.