Kathmandu, February 1

A meeting of three major political parties and agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front today decided to revive their task forces and resume the talks from the point where they ended due to disagreement on the terms of reference of the proposed political mechanism for settling the issue of boundaries of federal units.

In their last meeting on January 21, they failed to find a solution leading the three parties to pass the First Amendment Bill of the New Constitution from Parliament on January 23.

In the meeting held today in Parliament secretariat after 11 days, both sides said their task forces would work on consensus modality.

Earlier, UDMF had declined to sit for talks at task force level and had decided to hold only top leadership level talks.

“This time the talks will be conclusive. I have moved ahead as decided by the High Level Political Coordination Committee yesterday and the consultations held with the prime minister and leaders of the main opposition party this morning,” said Unified CPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal after today’s talks.

Sadbhawana Party’s Co-Chair Laxman Lal Karna said the task forces would meet after two days as some of UDMF task force members are outside the Kathmandu valley.

It will try to prepare a modality for consensus, he added.

The UDMF wants to mention in the ToR of the political mechanism that the federal boundaries be settled on the basis of reports of the first Constituent Assembly’s Committee on Restructuring the State and Distribution of State Power and the State Restructuring Commission formed by the government.

The CA panel had proposed a 14-province model and the commission had recommended an 11-province model, including one non-territorial Dalit Pradesh.

Both the reports have suggested two provinces in the Tarai-Madhes region.

Three major parties, however, want the ToR to state that the mechanism would settle the boundary issue on the basis of demands of past movements.

“We will resume the talks on the agendas, mainly the ToR of the proposed political mechanism,” Karna said.

NC leaders, during today’s talks, urged the UDMF leaders to stop attacking NC leaders and workers and obstructing the activities of NC’s general convention.

The three parties’ leaders also urged the UDMF leaders to end their sit-in at the Nepal-India border in Birgunj. UDMF leaders said UDMF’s meeting would review its programmes and take a decision soon.

Three top leaders of the UDMF FSF-N Chairman Upendra Yadav, Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato and Mahendra Ray Yadav of TMSP were not present in today’s talks, as they are in Bihar, meeting Indian leaders.

UML leader Jhalanath Khanal led the party’s talks team, as PM KP Sharma Oli didn’t attend the meeting.

TMDP leader Thakur, meanwhile, held a separate meeting with the PM in Baluwatar and discussed ways to resolve the Tarai crisis.