National
Allegiance to CA: Madhes parties to wait until final draft
Most of the mainstream Madhes-based parties have said they will wait until the final draft of the new constitution to decide whether to leave the Constituent Assembly process or not.Most of the mainstream Madhes-based parties have said they will wait until the final draft of the new constitution to decide whether to leave the Constituent Assembly process or not.
Some of the regional leaders said they had decided to leave Kathmandu to intensify protests in the Tarai but they did not specify when.
“We’ll wait for the final constitution draft to take a decision,” said Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato. He added that the regional parties would leave the CA process if the final draft did not address their demands concerning federalism, inclusiveness and citizenship.
An alliance of four Madhesi parties on Monday held a meeting at the office of the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party in the Capital. They announced an indefinite strike and protests in the plains but they were silent whether the top leaders would lead the agitation in the Tarai-Madhes.
“We will go but only after some days,” said Mahato. Leaders are also divided whether to leave Kathmandu at this crucial moment to lead protests in the plains.
Madhesi leaders said TMLP Chairman Mahantha Thakur is unwell so he would probably not reach the Tarai any time soon. Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal Chair Upendra Yadav, who is in the Capital, has no plans to visit his constituency soon. Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party President Mahendra Yadav underwent a heart surgery recently in India.
Speaking at a programme in Kathmandu on Monday, Sadbhawana Party Co-chairman Laxman Lal Karna said Madhesi parties and lawmakers were looking for an “opportune time to leave the CA”.
“We have decided to mobilise all our leaders and cadres for protests across the Madhes belt. I don’t know what others will do,” said Mahato.
After two days of banda, the disgruntled Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha on Monday decided to continue with its protest programmes in the Tarai “for an indefinite period”.
In a joint statement, Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav, TMLP Chair Mahantha Thakur, Sadbhawana Party chief Rajendra Mahato and Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana head Ram Naresh Raya said the draft constitution threatens the historical achievements of federalism, republicanism, inclusive democracy and secularism.
The general strike would continue unless the constitution “guarantees rights to Madhesi, Janajati and other communities as per the past agreements and the rights enshrined in the Interim Constitution”.
The CPN-Maoist and other fringe parties have not supported the protest accusing the Madhes-based parties of not holding prior consultation with them.
They accused the four major parties of not complying with the past agreements and taking a regressive step. The regional parties are against the six-state federal model. The agitating leaders accused the government of suppressing the protest against the constitution draft.