Kathmandu, October 4

Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar-led Federal Democratic Alliance today told the talks team formed by the three major parties that they had to address the boundary issues through constitutional amendment in order to meet the demands of the agitating forces in the Tarai.

This message was conveyed to the talks team when it went to hold dialogue with the FDA. The talks team is holding dialogue with the protesting forces in an attempt to prepare the ground for formal talks between the government/three major parties and protesting parties.

According to talks team member and Unified CPN-Maoist negotiator Narayan Kaji Shrestha, the alliance leaders told the talks team that the three major parties had to be ready to address the boundary issues.

Gachhadar-led alliance told the team that even after the government announced that it would meet some conditions like providing compensation to the victims’ kin, free treatment to the injured persons and withdrawing cases against the cadres of the protesting parties, the government was not fulfilling its pledge.

Shrestha said the talks team told the alliance leaders that they would relay their message to the top leaders of the three major parties, particularly their concerns about the boundaries of the federal units. The talks team also told the alliance leaders that the three major parties were ready to amend the constitution on the basis of political understanding and the report of Federal Commission to be formed.

Rajkishor Yadav, chairperson of Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Republican, a constituent of the FDA, said the alliance told the talks team that the government only expressed its commitment to providing same amount of compensation to the families of those who were killed during the protests as to those of martyrs when it should declared all those killed as martyrs.

He said the alliance also told the talks team to withdraw cases against the cadres of the protesting forces. “The day Kailali incident happened, Dhani Ram Chaudhari was at Reporters’ Club in Kathmandu yet he faces criminal charge. We told the government’s talks team to withdraw cases against our cadres,” he added.

Yadav said alliance leaders also told the talks team that if the three major parties wanted to prepare ground for talks, they had to be ready to ensure election constituencies in Madhes in proportion to the population of the region. “On the boundary issue, the talks team had no answer. They said they lacked mandate so we told them to come with their views on boundary issues,” he added.

Shrestha said the team would meet the top party leaders and then meet the protesting forces, including the UDM F.