Kathmandu, May 23

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today called a meeting of political parties, including the ruling parties, the main opposition Nepali Congress party and the constituents of the United Democratic Madhesi Front.

UDMF leader Upendra Yadav, however, said the agitating forces would not attend the meeting.

Prime Minister’s Press Adviser Pramod Dahal and Political Adviser Bishnu Rimal said the PM called the all-party meeting to find a negotiated settlement of all the contemporary, as well as constitutional issues.

“Our job is to invite the agitating forces to the negotiating table,” Rimal said when asked to comment on the Federal Alliance’s stated position that it would not hold talks with the government unless environment for talks was created.

Rimal said if the agitating forces had any grievances against the government, they should come to the negotiating table and tell the government what mistakes it committed and what they wanted to be done.

Chair of Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal Upendra Yadav, who also coordinates the Federal Alliance, told THT that the agitating Madhesi and Janajati forces would not sit for talks with the government unless the latter implemented the past pacts signed with the agitating forces, expressed commitment to rewrite the constitution and released the cadres and leaders of UDMF arrested across the Tarai. “Talks will be meaningless unless the government fulfils these three conditions,” he added.

Yadav said the agitating forces held 36 rounds of negotiations in the past without any outcome and the agitating forces did not want the past experience to repeat.

The Federal Alliance, which has been spearheading the agitation against the constitution, had, a few days ago, written to the PM a 26-point letter urging him to meet conditions to prepare an environment for talks.

The alliance also demanded withdrawal of false charges against agitators and formation of a probe committee to investigate the allegations of human rights violation during the protests.