Kathmandu, June 27:

Madhesi leaders today threatened not to let the house proceedings take place until the government fulfils all their demands.

Addressing an interaction, Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum leader Bijay Kumar Gachhadar said the proposed fifth amendment to the interim constitution must include provisions that

guarantee autonomy of Madhes region and group-wise entry of Madhesis in the Nepal Army.

“We are not demanding anything new. We all know very well what comes under the purview of a new constitution. It will be fine with us if a provision guaranteeing formation of a Province Demarcation Committee, with authority to take decisions about technical matters related to demarcation of boundaries of provinces, is included in the amendment proposal,” he said, adding that the Madhesis only want a constitutional guarantee of the matters on which they have reached an agreement with the government.

“We will not let House proceedings take place if our demands are not met,” he said.

Sadbhawana Party chairman Rajendra Mahato said it was the government’s duty to incorporate the points of agreement into the constitution and that they had to resort to pressure tactics after the government failed to do so.

Nepali Congress leader Ram Baran Yadav said the government should implement all agreements and the political parties should evolve a consensus on constitution amendment.

He said the issues of ‘One Madhes One Province’ and right to self-determination should be resolved by State Restructuring Commission and the Madhesi parties’ pressure tactics should not disrupt the schedule of the House as the government needed to bring the budget and other such programmes very soon.

CPN-Maoist Leader Dina Nath Sharma said though the Madhesi parties’ demands were genuine, incorporating them in the proposed amendment was difficult due to lack of time and other technical difficulties.

Stating that the Maoists were in favour of taking all 25 parties into confidence and coalition government, Sharma maintained that if every thing went as planned, the fifth amendment to the constitution would take place before July 1, election of the President, Prime Minister and Chairman of the CA on July 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

CPN-UML leader Ram Chandra Jha said the current deadlock would prolong if the Madhesi parties continued picketing the rostrum.

He said UML was against the concept of One Madhes, One province.