India on Sunday congratulated Nepal’s new Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli on his election and expressed the hope that he will carry all sections of Nepalese society with him for peace and stability in his country.
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The new prime minister will have to deal with ongoing protests over the Himalayan country’s new constitution, as well as an unhappy neighbor India. Towards that end, the new Nepal government should address Madhesi concerns through dialogue and by making suitable amendments to the constitution.
Many people from Nepal’s plains feel the constitution signed last month perpetuates long-standing domination by highland politicians.
From that posture, Oli, on Saturday, agreed to a pact with other key political leaders backing his premiership under which he committed his government to resolving tensions with the Madhesi community that has effectively forced a blockade of essential supplies into Nepal.
However, Oli is viewed as a hardliner who is not seen as sympathetic towards the demands of protesting Madhesi parties, according to a report in the Hindustan Times. The two are said to have been rewarded for their support to Mr. Oli in Parliament. He also invited Oli to visit India.
Oli won 338 votes in a parliamentary ballot, easily defeating rival candidate Sushil Koirala who took 249, after he stepped down as premier as required by the constitution adopted on September 24. The CPN-UML became the second largest party in the Constituent Assembly by winning 175 seats out of 575 seats.
“If we have needs or interests, we will stand by it”, they said, adding “India will not sacrifice its interests nor will it adopt a “Dhritarashtra” (blind) approach”. The Deputy Prime Ministers were Bijay Kumar Gachhadar, president of Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum Democratic, and Kamal Thapa, president of Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal.
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Madhesis and other ethnic groups in southern Nepal have been protesting against the constitution for weeks, arguing that the constitution will exclude them from power and the new internal borders will slice through Madhesis’ ancestral homeland. India, which has close ties to the Madhesis, denies there is a blockade and says drivers are afraid to enter Nepal, though Nepal says there is no trouble at many crossings.
