NC-Maoist alliance, Madhesi Front make 3-point agreement

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress and CPN Maoist Centre on Tuesday made a three-point agreement with United Democratic Madhesi Front to secure support from the Madhesi parties for their bid to form a new government in Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal's premiership. *

With the agreement forged on the eve of prime ministerial election, the Madhesi parties, who have 42 lawmakers in the 596-member Parliament, formally lent support to the Nepali Congress-Maoist coalition.

After the agreement, which assured the Madhesi parties of meeting their demands through political understanding and amendment of the Constitution, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal filed his nomination for the prime ministerial election.

Three Madhesi leaders -- Upendra Yadav of Social Forum-Nepal, Sarvendra Nath Shukla of Tarai Madhesh Democratic Party and Laxman Lal Karna of Sadbhawana Party -- have supported Dahal's candidacy. Along with Krishna Bahadur Mahara of CPN Maoist Centre and lawmakers Jayadev Joshi, Chandeshwar Jha and Kumar Khadka, they seconded Dahal's nomination proposed by Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba.

According to the agreement, the to-be-formed government would implement the Federal Alliance's demands including acknowledging those killed during the Madhes agitation as martyrs and providing free treatment to the injured as well as the amendment of Constitution, while the Madhesi parties would support the new government.

The Parliament is scheduled to choose the new Prime Minister tomorrow through voting after the parties could not find a consensual candidate to lead the new government.

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