Kathmandu, September 2

The protesting parties and the government say they want to hold dialogue to find a negotiated settlement of the constitutional issues, but there are, however, no signs that the talks will happen soon.

Unified CPN-Maoist and civil society members have stepped up efforts to bring the two sides to the negotiating table. A group of civil society members today met Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Chair Mahantha Thakur and Federal Socialist Form-Nepal Chair Updendra Yadav and urged them to come to the negotiating table.

Former chief election commission Bhoj Raj Pokharel, a member of the civil society team, said the government needed to do more to bring the agitating forces to the negotiating table. “It is always the government side that needs to show more flexibility,” he added.

UCPN-M leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha said they talked to the top leaders of the CPN-UML and urged them to hold formal and informal talks with the agitating parties so as to address their grievances. The UCPN-M leaders also held talks with Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Democratic Chairman Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar today.

“We are aware that we should not fall into the trap of those who want to derail the constitution making process but we are also of the view that we should make efforts to address the grievances of the protesting forces,” Shrestha said. He said his party would hold talks with the leaders of the CPN-UML, the Nepali Congress and Tharuhat/Tharuwan Joint Struggle Committee tomorrow.

UCPN-M leaders Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Baburam Bhattarai had urged Prime Minister Sushil Koirala yesterday to hold negotiation with the protesting parties. The UCPN-M had also held talks with Thakur yesterday and is trying to talk to FSP-N Chair Upendra Yadav. “We have not been able to establish contact with Yadav. We will probably hold talks with him tonight or tomorrow,” he added.

Shrestha said the UML leaders did not clearly say how they wanted to deal with the issues raised by the protesting parties.

CPN-UML CA member Shatrudhan Mahato said UML CA members representing Madhes had been telling the party leadership to talk to the protesting parties in order to find a solution to the constitutional issues through dialogue. “People are getting killed in Madhes and use of lethal force will not bring solution to the problems,” Mahato said and added that the party leadership had informed them that they were holding talks at several levels.

TMDP General Secretary Sarvendranath Shukla said the prime minister’s second letter was positive but still failed to assure the protesting parties of the withdrawal of security forces and the fate of the new agreement that might be reached on the negotiating table. “PM’s letter states he would try to incorporate the agreement (that may be reached on the negotiating table). This means he is non-committal,” Shukla said.