Nepal government has finally agreed to the demands of the agitating Madhesis and has made a decision to amend the new Constitution to address two key demands regarding proportional representation and constituency delimitation, a development which is likely to be welcomed by India.
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According to sources, Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa consulted External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj over the last week before finally taking the solution package to the Madhesi groups.
“The two amendments concerns two important outstanding issues between the Nepalese government and the agitators-constituency delimitation and proportional inclusion”.
An emergency meeting of the Cabinet on Sunday evening chose to form the mechanism with a mandate to submit reports with acceptable recommendations for all sides within three months of its formation. The party also asked the front to forge consensus on the bill so it could be revised, including the front’s demands.
“India has welcomed the Nepal government’s move, calling it “positive steps that help create the basis for a resolution of the current impasse”. After the constitution was delivered on September 20, they resorted to obstructing the Nepal-India border in order to exert pressure on the government to meet their demands. The embargo has created a shortage of essential goods and medicines leading to a humanitarian crisis in the landlocked country which was exclusively dependent on India to import gasoline for several years. At least 50 people have been killed in protests by Madhesis since August.
Kathmandu: With no headway in resolving the four-month-old anti-Constitution agitation in Nepal’s Terai region even after 15 rounds of talks with the government, the Samyukta Terai Madhes Loktantrik Morcha, an alliance of four parties based in the Terai-Madhes region, on Friday announced launch of a fresh stir to achieve their demands.
“The process for the adoption of the Constitution amendment bill tabled in parliament will be advanced in order to ensure the participation in the state organs on the basis of proportionate inclusiveness”, the statement said.
On political mechanism, he said that it “will recommend solutions to disputes over the proposed provincial boundaries within three months of its formation”.
Similarly, the meeting also urged the agitating parties to call off their protests, saying that their demands can be addressed through dialogue. The Nepal Government is now waiting for the response from the agitating Madhesi parties.
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The protesters also want lawmakers to amend the country’s internal borders laid out in the charter which they say will leave them under-represented in the national parliament.
