Kathmandu, October 4

The United Democratic Madhesi Front today formed a four-member talks team to hold talks with the three major parties/government on constitutional issues. The front, however, decided to continue its agitation in Madhes, including peaceful demonstrations in border areas, highways and civil disobedience.

According to Sadbhawana Party General Secretary Manish Kumar Suman, today’s meeting of the UDMF also formed a four-member talks team to hold dialogue with the three major parties/government on constitutional issues. The UDMF has been protesting in Madhes for the last 50 days and blockading border entry points for the last 11 days.

Asked why the UDMF did not lift some of its severe forms of protest, including blockade of entry points on the border, Suman said the front decided to continue with all forms of its protest because the Madhesi leaders who held negotiations with the representatives of the government and the three major parties told the meeting that there was no progress in the talks on the constitutional issues.

A press release issued by the front urged the government and the three major parties to prepare the ground for formal talks with clear roadmaps.

Suman said the chiefs of the four constituent parties of the UDMF- SP, Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal, Tarai Madhes Democratic Party and Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party-Nepal would go to Rupandehi to blockade the entry points there.

Suman said the presence of the chief leaders would boost the morale of the protesters who could effectively blockade entry points in Rupandehi districts.

The four-member talks team includes Vice Chair of Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal Lalbabu Raut, General Secretary of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Sarvendranath Shukla, Co-chair of Sadbhawana Party Laxman Lal Karna, and senior leader of Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party Nepal Ram Naresh Ray.