Dahal for addressing all issues raised by UDMF in a package deal

Kathmandu, November 17

The ruling coalition and the principal opposition party, the Nepali Congress, will hold the much-hyped “decisive talk” with the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front tomorrow.

After the blockade at entry points at Nepal-India border started taking its toll on public life, Unified CPN-Maoist Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who also heads the High-Level Political Coordination Committee, took the initiative to end the Tarai unrest by addressing the demands of UDMF as soon as possible, leading to formal and informal talks with all the stakeholders.

Today Dahal held a meeting with Upendra Yadav, chairman of Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal, a key constituent of UDMF. Dahal’s Personal Secretary Chudamani Khadka claimed that the meeting ended on a positive note.

Yesterday Dahal met Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, NC acting president Ramchandra Paudel, UDMF leaders Mahantha Thakur and Mahendra Raya Yadav, who were said to be positive on ending the impasse with “decisive talks” on Wednesday.

However, Ganesh Sah, a member of the HLPCC, today said NC and CPN-UML have remained tight-lipped on the proposal floated by Dahal and have not even put forth their views to bail the country out of the existing multi-dimensional crises.

He claimed that UDMF was for dissolving the structure of existing 75 districts and carving out federal units. “Therefore, I don’t think tomorrow’s talks could be decisive in any way,” he said.

Dahal had floated an idea to address all the issues raised by the UDMF in a package deal, including the issue of demarcation of borders without splitting the clusters and including southern plains of disputed districts in Madhes provinces. He had also proposed to finalise demarcation of disputed districts through political consensus.

Paudel said NC’s office-bearers’ meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning would come up with alternative ways to address the concerns of the UDMF.

Paudel said NC was for deciding demarcation only on the basis of constitution and people’s aspirations but the agitating parties were for finalising the complicated issue of demarcation right away.

Asked about the proposal put forth by Dahal, Paudel said he didn’t have any concrete proposal.

UML Central Secretariat Secretary Krishna Gopal Shrestha said concerns of agitating Madhesi parties would be addressed soon.