Valley
DPM Thapa asks Swaraj to make efforts to resolve bilateral matter
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamal Thapa urged Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to take steps to resolve the bilateral issueDeputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamal Thapa urged Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to take steps to resolve the bilateral issue in line with the spirit of recent discussion between two foreign ministers in New Delhi.
Thapa also urged India not to link internal issue and bilateral economic issue, adding that the trade obstruction is against the good-neighbourly principle. He also sought to highlight the humanitarian cost of the blockade.
Registering a statement at the Legislature-Parliament on Monday, DPM Thapa said the differences with the agitating parties have narrowed and that the government has been making continuing efforts to resolve other outstanding issues. He briefed Parliament about diplomatic efforts being made by the government for lifting the unofficial blockade imposed by India.
He added that the government has been putting utmost effort to address the demands of the agitating Madhes-centric parties through talks.
The government’s attention has been drawn by the statement given by Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj at India’s Upper House (Rajya Sabha) on December 3 regarding Nepal-India relations and Nepal’s current situation, Thapa said. Without categorically refuting some aspects of Swaraj’s statement, he sought to correct some of the perceived inaccuracies in the statement given by Swaraj.
He said that Indian PM Narendra Modi’s suggestion on finding a “maximum consensus” on the constitution as a friendly advice, while noting that constitution drafting was Nepal’s internal issue.
“I have been hopeful since my India visit from Nov 30 to Dec 2 where I met Indian PM, External Affairs Minister, and national security advisor, among other high-profile officials. My India visits have been helpful on clearing misunderstanding between the two countries and I am hopeful that there will be early improvement to the current situation,” DPM Thapa said.
Recalling Indian PM Narendra Modi’s two visits to Nepal last year and his address to Nepal’s Parliament, Thapa hailed India’s assistance to Nepal in the immediate aftermath of the April 25 earthquake.
He said Nepal had expected warm welcome from its friendliest neighbour and world’s biggest democracy on promulgating the new constitution. “But India’s statement, ‘merely noting’ the constitution and subsequent obstruction of transit has shocked us and that trend of transit obstruction continues,” Thapa said. Nepal’s new charter was welcomed by friendly nations including China, Japan and UN Secretary General. And recently during the Universal Periodic
Review session on Human Rights held in Geneva, a majority of the 79 participating member-states had praised the promulgation of the constitution.
Madhes-based parties obstruct House, again
KATHMANDU: Just as top leaders of the agitating Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha were busy holding meetings with Indian leaders in New Delhi, the second-rung leaders continued their protest in Parliament on Monday, making it impossible for the House to debate the Constitution Amendment Bill.
Morcha leaders obstructed the House proceedings, for the sixth time “to put pressure on the government” to address their demands. The Legislature-Parliament Secretariat on Sunday incorporated the Constituent Amendment Bill as one of the major agenda for discussion following three major parties’ agreement on Friday to expedite the constitution amendment process.
Madhes-based parties have been obstructing the House since November 9, as part of their strategy to put pressure on the government both from the streets and Parliament.
Major parties had agreed to move forward the Amendment Bill, registered by the Sushil Koirala-led government on October 8, as per their understanding to expedite the constitution amendment process so as to address the concerns of the Madhes-based parties that have been spearheading protests in the Tarai for more than three months. The bill seeks to amend Articles 42, 84 and 286 of the Constitution of Nepal to guarantee proportional inclusive representation in the state bodies and delineation of electoral constituencies based on population, the demands put forth by the Madhesi parties.
After the Madhes-based parties did not let the House function, Speaker Onsari Gharti postponed the proceedings till Thursday. Top SLMM leaders, who are currently in New Delhi, are scheduled to return on Wednesday. The major parties have decided to hold consultation with them as soon as they arrive in Kathmandu.
Before the House sat on Monday, the Business Advisory Committee had asked the second-rung leaders of the Tarai parties to help introduce the Bill in Parliament. UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal and Nepali Congress leader Mahesh Acharya had requested them not to obstruct the House. But they said protests would continue until there was a convincing political commitment to address their concerns.
“We will continue to obstruct the House,” said Laxman Lal Karna, co-chair of Sadbhawana Party.