The agitating forces are seeking revisions in more than 100 clauses of the constitution to address the concerns raised by them.

They have called for amending clauses pertaining to state restructuring, inclusive and proportionate representation in the Upper House, citizenship and working language of provinces among others.  

The government is preparing to register a constitution amendment proposal in Parliament before September 15, the day Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal embarks on his visit to India. But for the amendment proposal to reach the House, the government and the agitating parties must find a meeting point at the earliest.

The success of the planned negotiation between the government and agitating parties will largely depend on the proposal that the governing parties put forward in relation to redrawing of the federal boundaries, say Madhesi leaders. Following several rounds of informal talks, the government and the agitating Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) are making final preparations to start formal negotiations.

PM Dahal intends to register the proposal in Parliament, or at least some sort of deal for the same, before leaving for India.

During informal negotiations with the leadership of governing CPN (Maoist Centre) and Nepali Congress, Madhes-based parties have demanded revision of federal boundaries to address the grievances of the Madhesi and Tharu communities living in the plains.

The regional parties have, however, hinted that they are ready to be flexible on their official position of “two provinces in the plains”, depending on the concessions the ruling parties offer on other disputed issues during the negotiation process.

Madhesi parties will seek to have one more province in western Tarai and expand the territory of the existing Province No 2 to further east by including the Madhesi-majority constituencies, according to Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party General Secretary Sarbendra Nath Shukla.

Despite receiving written and verbal promises, the Morcha leadership is not convinced that the boundary issue will be settled easily given the level of opposition the NC and the Maoist leadership is likely to face from within and outside the parties. “Revision of federal boundaries is definitely a big issue, but other issues mentioned in the Morcha’s 11-point demand are also equally important,” said Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato.

Morcha’s other demands include proportional and inclusive representation in the Upper House and changes in “discriminatory clauses” related to citizenship.

The Madhes-based parties are demanding constitutional guarantee that those with naturalised citizenship should also be allowed to hold key state positions.

To address the issue of representation in the Upper House, Madhesi parties have called on the governing parties to apply the same principle that was applied to resolve the dispute over electoral constituencies during the first amendment. Then, both population and geography were made the basis for determining the electoral constituencies. As per the current constitutional provision for representation in the Upper House, each province will send eight-eight members to the Upper House, which the Madhes-based parties say is not practical. They care calling for making population also one of the bases for the representation in the Upper House. The Morcha has also demanded that the regional languages be given the same status as Nepali. 

The Morcha will also seek a solution to the row over the restructuring of local bodies through a package deal.

Unlike major parties, who are complaining over the number of local units, the Morcha has expressed its concern about the fewer allocation of municipal councils in the Tarai plains.  Morcha leaders claim that the Local Level Restructuring Commission, which has proposed 565 local units, has deliberately come up with a report that intends to disenfranchise the Madhesi constituencies by allocating less number of municipal councils.