Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has claimed that there has been informal understanding between the government and the Madhes-based parties to resolve the disputes over the constitution.

He, however, said that an amendment proposal could not be registered at Parliament due to lack of formal agreement. Madhesi leaders, who were engaged in informal discussions, have refused to acknowledge such understanding.  

During a meeting with leaders of the Madhes-based parties on Wednesday, Dahal said that the government decided against registering the amendment proposal at Parliament in haste after the process was unnecessarily linked with his India visit. The government will instead make concrete efforts to build a political consensus on the proposed constitution amendment following the visit.

“I could have registered the amendment proposal before India visit. There has already been informal understanding to resolve the disputed issues. I didn’t rushed to table the amendment proposal without formal agreement considering the obstacles we could face during its endorsement

process at Parliament,” a Madhesi leader quoted Dahal as saying during the meeting with parties affiliated to

the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha.

The PM told Madhesi leaders that the government would forward the amendment proposal after taking the opposition forces on board without giving specific timeframe. Dahal claimed that there has been understanding on four disputed issues of the constitution pertaining to boundaries, representation in the Upper House, naturalized citizenship and language. Dahal hinted that there has been an understanding to form another province in the Tarai plains from Nawalparasi to Bardiya. He, however, did not divulge further details on the understanding reached among parties on other

issues. Morcha’s has been demanding to include proportional and inclusive representation in the Upper House and make changes to “discriminatory clauses” related to citizenship. It has also been demanding a constitutional guarantee that

those with naturalised citizenship should also be allowed to hold key state positions.

During the meeting, Dahal said that the government was initially planning to table the amendment proposal within September 15, but then decided to revisit the plan due to lack of formal agreement among the key political parties that was necessary to endorse the constitution.

“I was planning to table the amendment within Bhadra (mid September) even before the date of my India visit was fixed. The proposed amendment was unnecessarily linked with the visit,” he said.

The Madhesi leaders who were involved in the negotiation process dismissed Dahal’s claims. They maintain that the major parties have not forwarded any proposals for amendment. “There was an agreement to resolve the four issues, but there has not been a detailed discussion,” Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Chairman Mahanta Thakur told the Post. “We have asked them to forward a concrete proposal before holding further negotiations.”