Kathmandu, March 20

One month after the Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal wrote to the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal for unity talks, the RJP-N wrote back telling  the FSF-N  to prepare conducive environment for talks by quitting the Nepal Communist Party (NCP)-led government.

Member of RJP-N Presidium Rajendra Mahato, who heads the party’s talks team formed yesterday, told THT that the ball was now in the FSF-N’s court. “The FSF-N stated in its invite that the Nepali Congress and the NCP (NCP) were status-quoists, but the FSF-N itself was strengthening the hands of these forces,” Mahato added. He said the FSF-N could create conducive environment for unity talks only if it quit the government. “How can unity talks happen if we remain in the opposition and the FSF-N continues to be a coalition partner in the NCP (NCP)-led government?”

FSF-N Chair Upendra Yadav, who is the deputy prime minister and minister of Health and population in the KP Sharma Oli-led government had, on March 17, said in Biratnagar that he had not thought of quitting the government.

Mahato said his party had realised that the forces that were fighting for recognition of identity, equality and autonomy had to unite. “There should not be separate movements for equality, autonomy and identity. Rather, all the forces fighting for these things must unite,” Mahato said, adding that his party would hold unity talks with like-minded parties. “If merger with other outfits happen, that will be much better, but even if merger does not happen, we will try at least to form a united front so that we can jointly fight for our cause,” Mahato said and added that the government must protect the identity and rights of all communities.

The RJP-N has named Brikhesh Chandra Lal, Ramesh Yadav, Sunil Rohit and Keshav Jha as members of the talks team led by Mahato.

FSF-N had also formed a talks team on December 9 under party Co-chair Rajendra Shrestha.

The RJP-N also formed a provincial government coordination committee under party presidium member Mahendra Ray Yadav. The party has formed local levels coordination committee under Anil Kumar Jha and the Central Training Department under Rajkishor Yadav. The Party has designated Sharat Singh Bhandari as the new coordinator of the party’s presidium. RJP-N’s presidium rotates between six members of the presidium after two months