Kathmandu, February 27

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa today said in Biratnagar that he was ready to quit as Coordinator of the Political Committee if the agitating Madhesi parties wanted him to.

United Democratic Madhesi Front leaders said that they objected to formation of the Political Committee not because Thapa was named its coordinator, but because the mechanism was not given constitutional validity as it was formed without the consent of the agitating parties and without formulating the terms of reference for the mechanism.

Spokesperson for the Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Sarvendra Nath Shukla said the UDMF’s objection to the recently formed Political Committee was about its process, principles, and terms of reference and lack of constitutional validity of the mechanism.

“If any individual member of the UDMF has opposed Thapa that’s a different thing, but the UDMF’s objection is about the process and principles of the mechanism and not Thapa,” Shukla said, adding that UDMF would have no objection to joining the mechanism if the government forged consensus with UDMF on the terms of reference for the mechanism and if it gave constitutional validity to the mechanism.

“Forming political mechanism was the government’s proposal which we accepted. The Prime Minister formed the mechanism just to give an impression to the Indian leaders that he was sincere about addressing Madhes issues, but since the mechanism was formed unilaterally without the consent of UDMF, the PM failed to please who he wanted to please” Shukla added.

He said the UDMF’s withdrawal of border blockade had created favourable atmosphere for seeking negotiated settlement of the Madhes movement. “If the government does not utilise the current situation to win the confidence of agitating forces, it may never find such a favourable situation to find a negotiated settlement,” Shukla added.

Sadbhawana Party Chair Rajendra Mahato said the UDMF could not join the mechanism mainly because the mechanism lacked constitutional validity and terms of reference.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Agni Kharel said the government would come up with its opinion regarding the issues being raised about the Political Committee and the parties would be consulted to give the committee full shape.

The Cabinet decided to form an 11-member Political Committee led by Thapa without naming the 10 members of the Committee.