UCPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal proposed that the major parties should forge a common stance on UDMF’s latest demands before inviting the front for final talks

Kathmandu, January 21

The five major parties in the Parliament today agreed to continue their attempts to resolve the existing crisis through dialogue after their talks with agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front leaders failed.

UDMF leaders had left Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s official residence Baluwatar regretting that the Oli-led government was unable to resolve the crisis.

The five parties CPN-UML, Unified CPN-Maoist, Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal, Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Democratic and Nepali Congress continued the meeting after UDMF leaders left, as UCPN-M Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal proposed that the major parties should forge a common stance on the UDMF’s latest proposal before inviting the UDMF for final talks.

Chairman of Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal Upendra Yadav said the government couldn’t amend the constitution and even if it did that would not suffice to persuade the UDMF to end its agitation.

He said the major parties had made no headway in the last four months.

UDMF task force member Ram Naresh Raya said they rejected the proposal of PM Oli after he said the front should agree only on the two issues dealt with in the constitution amendment bill, instead of insisting on addressing their 11-point demands in a package.

He said the PM and the government were not serious about resolving the crisis.

CPN-UML Vice-chairman Bhim Rawal, who is also a deputy prime minister and defence minister, said today’s talks failed after the UDMF demanded that the issue of demarcation should be finalised right away.

Rawal, who is a member of the task force formed by major parties, said political mechanism would be insignificant if the parties could finalise the issues of demarcation now.

UCPN-M Vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha said the five major parties decided to continue high-level talks with the UDMF leaders and attempt to address their demands in a package.

Sources claimed that UCPN-M and Nepali Congress leaders had also expressed concern about the PM’s approach in dealing with UDMF demands.

FSF-Nepal Chair Yadav and UDMF task force members Hridayesh Tripathi, Laxman Lal Karna and Ram Naresh Raya were present in today’s meeting with the major parties.