Nepal

Prime minister to invite UDMF for talks soon

Prime minister to invite UDMF for talks soon

By Ram Kumar Kamat

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli addressing the International Buddhist Conference organised on the occasion of the 2560th Buddha Jyanti in the Capital on Thursday, May 19, 2016. Photo: RSS nn

Kathmandu, June 17 Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will soon call the United Democratic Madhesi Front to negotiating table, said Prime Minister’s Press Adviser Pramod Dahal. Dahal said a reply sent by the UDMF on the PM’s talks offer reached him today and he would soon renew his invitation for talks to the front. Dahal said the government had already addressed most of the conditions put forth by the front. The UDMF has put forth seven pre-conditions for talks which include martyrdom status for those who were killed during the protest, withdrawal of false cases against UDMF cadres and leaders and formation of probe committee to investigate into allegations of human rights violation during the protest. “As far as the implementation of the eight-point and 22-point demands are concerned, these agreements were signed before the first CA that failed to deliver a new constitution. Second CA drafted the constitution and now the government is in the process of implementing the constitution,” Dahal said and added that it was a matter of debate as to how genuine this demand was. Dahal said the government was ready to form a probe commission as demanded by the UDMF. “The only thing that the government wants to know from the front is whether it wants a judicial probe commission or a different kind of commission to be formed,” Dahal added. He said the PM was eager to hold formal or non-formal dialogue with the UDMF and had that not been the case the PM would not have invited agitating forces for talks repeatedly. “The PM has so far sent invite for talks twice; the political committee led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa had also invited the front for talks,” Dahal added. When asked if the PM would send invite for talks to the Federal Alliance as well, Dahal replied in the negative. “The government is unaware of the existence of the Federal Alliance and has no plan to send any invite to the alliance,” Dahal added. Chair of Sadbhawana Party Rajendra Mahato said the government had to fulfill seven-point pre-conditions to prepare environment for talks. “These are not constitution related demands, these are demands that the government should address to prepare environment for talks,” Mahato said and added that the UDMF was ready to raise constitutional demands on the negotiating table. He said the government should clarify its stance on the 11-point and 26-point demands put forth by the UDMF and the FA, respectively. “We want to know what the government’s views are vis-à-vis revision of provincial boundaries and citizenship issues and other issues. The government has not said anything about our demands yet,” he added.