Kathmandu, December 5

Leaders of major political parties and the agitating forces today said they were ready to resolve the existing political crisis through dialogue but stood firm on their respective stances.

Speaking at an interaction, the leaders said the political parties should themselves find a solution and that any foreign interference would not be acceptable to them.

Chairman of Federal Socialist Forum Nepal Upendra Yadav accused the government of violating humanitarian laws by directing the security agencies to shoot at children and agitators.

Yadav said they were forced to stage protest on the no-man’s land after the government imposed curfew and issued prohibitory orders.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Bhim Rawal said National Human Rights Commission could not carry out investigations into cases of human rights violations during the ongoing Madhes agitation as agitators set ablaze its vehicles.

Vice-Chairman of Unified CPN-Maoist Narayan Kaji Shrestha said ethnic groups were not for pre-emptive rights. He said some leaders guided by their personal interests were fueling the dispute over provincial boundaries.

Co-chair of Sadbhavana Party Laxman Lal Karna said not a single person had acquired naturalised citizenship after the promulgation of the 1990 constitution as was being rumoured. He said there were three strata of people in Nepal — Janajati, Madhes and Khas — and that Madhesis and Janajatis were being denied their rightful representation.

NC Vice-President Ram Chandra Poudel said the Constituent Assembly alone cannot give a solution to all ills. Poudel said only honesty among leaders could give a way out of the current crisis. He said if everything was expected at once there would be a danger of losing all achievements. “We should move ahead step by step,” he said.

Stating that that the current political situation had caused a huge loss to the national economy, NC leader Ram Saran Mahat said political disputes should be resolved through dialogue. He said international trade must not be mixed with internal politics.

General Secretary of Sadbhavana Party Manish Kumar Suman said the new constitution was far regressive than the Interim Constitution.

Asked about ways to resolve the Madhes agitation, Chairman of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Mahantha Thakur said the problem would be resolved if the state recognised the identity of the marginalised communities. He said the current agitation was for establishing the identity of the Madhesi people and it would not end without achieving that.

Senior leader of CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal said both the government and the agitating Madhesi parties as well as the southern neighbour were responsible for the protracted agitation in the plains.