Differences between the major parties and the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha over the basis for electoral constituency delineation and definition and scope of population clusters entitled to special protection have prevented the two sides from reaching an understanding.

The three major parties have asked the SLMM to table a revision proposal on the Constitution Amendment Bill.

Following a meeting of top leaders earlier this week, major parties had informally offered the agitating parties to register a revision proposal and support the amendment bill in Parliament.

“In fact, we want them to join the process,” said Bishnu Rimal, Chief Political Adviser of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. “We have also slowed down the process. The Morcha should either table its own amendment proposal or take ownership of the existing one.”

Stating that discussions were underway to bring the disgruntled parties on board, Rimal said the government, however, would move the amendment proposal forward if the Morcha refused to join the process. Three major parties have also formed an informal team to reach out to the agitating parties.

Rimal said that Morcha has been “unnecessarily” objecting to “cluster of groups” entitled to special protection from the state.

Under the article pertaining to Right to Social Justice of the new constitution, a provision states “21 different groups would be entitled to special protection from the state”. The Interim Constitution had guaranteed such protection to only eight groups.

The extended cluster includes “socially backward women, Dalits, Adibasi, Adibasi Janajati, Khas Arya, Madhesi, Tharu, farmers, labourers, suppressed classes, Muslims, backward classes, minorities, marginalised and endangered communities, youth, children, the elderly, gender minorities and the disabled or those who are physically or mentally challenged.”

But SLMM leaders have accused the major parties of failing to come up with common position to address their concerns about constituency delineation and proportional and inclusive representation.

Mahantha Thakur, Chairman of Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party, said that major parties have failed to tell the Morcha in the last five rounds of discussions how they will address Morcha’s concerns.

“In a recent telephone conversation, Prime Minister Oli himself told me in Maithali that the government would take a concrete step towards addressing our concerns,” said Thakur. “We are still waiting.”

Thakur said that the Morcha, in principle, has agreed to redraw federal boundaries through a political committee later. “But a respectable deal on the amendment bill is necessary,” he said. SLMM leaders have demanded that population should be the sole basis both for delineation of the electoral constituency and provincial representation in the national assembly. They have also expressed reservation over the extended “cluster” of communities entitled to special protection from the state, arguing that the provision falls short of explaining “who all will benefit and how”.

The amendment that the government has registered to address the Madhesi concerns has taken both the population and geography into account to delineate the constituencies. Similarly, the current provision says each federal province shall elect eight members to the national assembly.

Morcha leaders said that they would determine their further programme of protest depending on how the major parties will address their demands.

Morcha is also mulling over ending its border-centric protests. “Four parties in the Morcha will collectively decide whether to call off the border protests. The future development would determine whether to ease protests or intensify them,” said Ashok Rai, senior leader of Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal.