Kathmandu, August 28

Sadbhawana Party Chair Rajendra Mahato today met Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and warned him that if he did not table the constitutional amendment bill in the Parliament immediately, it could create crisis of confidence between the government and the Untied Democratic Madhesi Front.

Talking to THT, Mahato said the PM assured him that he would move the constitutional amendment bill immediately in the Parliament and would try his best to address the concerns of Madhesi and Janajatis.

The PM said he was committed to agendas of Madhesis and Janajatis, as those were also the agendas of his party when it fought a 10-year war. Mahato said he advised the PM to table the amendment bill immediately when the PM asked him how the government should tackle the issues of constitutional amendment.

According to Mahato, the PM wanted to know his views whether the government should consult all the parties to forge consensus on the constitutional amendment bill, including the CPN-UML and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party or the government should move the bill without waiting for all the parties to support the bill.

Mahato said he told the PM that if he waited for all the parties to support the bill, that would never happen.

Mahato said he told the PM that if the government wanted to say that it could not move a constitutional amendment bill because the UML or any other political party was not supporting it, that would just be a pretext for the government to deviate from its commitment stated in the three-point agreement.

Mahato said the PM agreed with him that the government should first forge consensus between the ruling parties and the UDMF and then table a bill in the Parliament.

“The government can seek support of the UML, RPP-Nepal and other parties after the bill is moved in the Parliament because then parties can form their views in support or against the bill,” Mahato said.

“When the CPN-MC, the Nepali Congress and the UDMF move ahead to address the key issues of the people and the country, the UML or any a particular party cannot stall such a process and if it did, it would be punished by the voters,” Mahato added.

Mahato said he also told the PM that a constitutional amendment bill should be prepared immediately to address key issues of the agitating forces, such as revision of the provincial boundaries, citizenship issues and representation in the House of Representatives, Upper House and proportional inclusion.

“As far as revision of provincial boundaries was concerned, I told the PM that we agree with the CPN-MC’s views of creating two provinces in Madhes. The government needs to get other parties to support its views,” he added.

Mahato said he told the PM that retention of Interim Constitution’s provision regarding citizenship and electoral system and removal of unnecessary clusters for reservation would help address the agitating forces’ demands.

Mahato said he also expressed his displeasure over the slow implementation of the three-point agreement. “The government is slow in implementing the second point of the agreement which is the sole jurisdiction of the government,” Mahato added.