Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has called a trilateral meeting of the ruling, opposition and agitating parties in a bid to end the political deadlock.

The meeting will be held at the PM’s official residence in Baluwatar at 11am on Monday, according to Oli’s press adviser Pramod Dahal.

Three major parties—Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist)—are preparing to formulate a common position to address the Morcha’s demands. Despite holding several rounds of talks, major parties and the agitating forces have not been able to reach an understanding on revising the demarcation of federal states.

Leaders from the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha said they were informed about the meeting. However, it is uncertain whether the Morcha leaders who are outside the Valley will join the talks. “They have informed us that the Congress will also attend the dialogue. I have taken this as a positive move,” said Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Chairman Mahantha Thakur, who is currently in the Capital.

On the eve of the trilateral meet, Indian Ambassador Ranjit Rae on Sunday met PM Oli and NC President Sushil Koirala.

Dahal floats ‘middle path’ proposal

Roshan Sedhai (Kathmandu, NOV 29

UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s new proposal on demarcation, floated as a “win-win” proposition in ending the Tarai standoff, has divided both the major parties and the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha, exposing conflicting interests of individual leaders over the federal boundaries.

Dahal’s proposal acknowledges Morcha’s demands for two provinces in the plains without making any major revision to the existing boundaries of the Madhes province. He proposed a separate Tharuhat province from Nawalparasi to Bardiya.

During an informal meeting with the Morcha last week, Dahal had proposed to decide the fate of Morang, Sunsari and Kailali districts, which are aligned with two Hill provinces, either through a high-level committee or the federal commission. Jhapa, Chitwan and Kanchanpur would retain their position.

Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, the two biggest parties, are reluctant to consider any immediate change in the federal structure enshrined in the new constitution. However, they have hinted that the borders could be redrawn in the spirit of the proposal and based on the recommendation of a federal commission.

“I can convince the UML and the NC leaders to agree to this proposal if the Morcha agrees to redrawing the boundaries later,” a Madhesi leader quoted Dahal as telling the meeting. Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party and the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik have backed Dahal’s bid though they insist on splitting Morang and Kailali to take all the dissident groups into confidence.

“We could consider it if the major parties agreed to immediately register an amendment to revise the borders while two other amendment bills are pending in Parliament. But they are asking us to sign another agreement and revise the boundaries later,” said Thakur.

The MJF-L has proposed carving out a separate province comprising Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Udayapur, Siraha and Saptari districts.

Along with some fringe Madhesi parties, Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal has demanded an extension of the Madhes province up to Morang, or at least including some parts of the district.

It has also floated an idea to form a separate province comprising Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari. “All we are saying is follow certain criteria and abide by the spirit of past agreements while redrawing the boundaries,” said SSFN senior leader Ashok Rai. He also stressed the need for a tentative deal on boundaries for the crisis to be resolved.

Conflict of interest

Differing positions over the federal boundaries highlight an internal race among the major and regional parties to secure their individual interests from the deal. Despite protesting under a joint alliance, Madhesi leaders have made their individual priorities clear from the very beginning. The TMLP, which won three seats from Rupandehi and Kapilvastu despite an adverse situation in 2012, sees growing political stake in the proposed Tharuhat province. The party leadership, including Vice-chairman Hridayesh Tripathi and General Secretary Sarvendra Nath Shukla who are from the region, believes the party could emerge as a decisive force in the province. Other Madhes-centric parties except the MJF-Loktantrik have relatively less influence in the region. The MJF-L, headed by Bijay Gachhadar, a prominent Tharu face, also sees equal stakes in the region considered a Tharu stronghold. But the party wants to incorporate Tharu-majority areas of Kailali at any cost. Two MJF-L leaders won seats from Kailali in the last Constituent Assembly election.

SSFN Chairman Yadav has interest in the entire plains but mainly in the central and eastern Tarai. Unlike other Madhesi leaders, Yadav is also working to emerge as a national face by leading Janajatis and Dalits. This was why he united his party with the Sanghiya Samajbadi Party Nepal, a Janajati force.

The Rajendra Mahato-led Sadbhawana Party, which fared worse than other parties last election, has been trying to win over the core constituency of the Madhes province. The party also lacks a clear position on demarcation.

“Sadbhawana hopes to emerge as a new force in the core Madhesi constituencies in the same way as Forum and TMLP emerged from the first and second Madhes movements respectively,” said Tula Narayan Shah, a Madhes analyst. UML leaders including PM Oli, Jhala Nath Khanal, Subas Nembang, Bhim Rawal and senior NC leaders such as Sher Bahadur Deuba, Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Mahesh Acharya are against an immediate revision to the boundaries fearing a backlash from their constituencies in the East and Far West.