Madhesis snub Nepal PM, boycott all party meeting

An alliance of agitating Madhesi and other minority groups seeking more rights and representation in Nepal's new Constitution today snubbed Prime Minister K P Oli by boycotting an all-party meeting called by him to resolve the current political crisis.
Chairman of Samajbadi Forum and Chairman of the Sanghiya Gatbandhan, Upendra Yadav said he was not aware about the meeting.
"I came to know about the meeting convened by PM only after reading today's Kantipur daily. It wouldn't be appropriate to attend the meeting summoned through news report," Yadav said.
"The PM has to make it clear why the meeting was called. He has to send formal invitation. PM Oli's manner of summoning the meeting doesn't seem right," Kathmandu Post quoted him as saying.

Though some of the leaders of alliance received SMS invitation for talks on their mobile phones, Yadav said he did not receive any message and that he wouldn't go to attend the meeting based on SMS invitation.
Writing a special letter to Gathabandhan leaders last night, Prime Minister Oli had summoned an all-party meeting for this morning to discuss ways to resolve the Madhes crisis.

All the political parties represented in Legislature- Parliament were invited at the meeting.
Sanghiya Gathabandhan has been organising protests in Kathmandu against the new Constitution.
The Madhesi forces had earlier also snubbed an all-party meeting called by PM Oli.

The chairman of Sadbhawana Party, Rajendra Mahato, today said the recent call for talks by the Prime Minister was a positive development but pointed out that it was not sufficient.
Speaking to reporters some hours after the all-party meeting, Mahato said the UDMF was ready to sit for talks if the government responded to their demands.
The major demands of Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, include re-demarcation of the seven province model of federal structure, inclusiveness and proportionate representation of marginalised groups and ethnic minorities including the Madhesis, indigenous groups and dalits in all the state bodies.
Madhesis earlier had launched six-month-long agitation from September to February in which more than 50 people were killed. The agitation had also crippled the landlocked country's economy as supplies from India were blocked.

Nepal had accused India of imposing an "economic blockade", which India strongly denied.
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Mahato said the UDMF would formally make a decision to make appropriate response to the Prime Minister's call for talks.
He said he was for amending the Constitution, not rewriting the constitution or forming a new Constituent Assembly.
The ruling parties and the main Opposition Nepali Congress have agreed to address the demands of agitating parties through dialogue and discussion.
During a meeting held today at Singha Darbar secretariat, the ruling parties, including CPN-UML and CPN Maoist Centre, and the main opposition Nepali Congress discussed how to adopt flexibility in addressing the demands of disgruntled parties.

During the meeting, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Agni Kharel, said the demands of agitating parties would be addressed through discussion and dialogue.
Responding to a query, Minister Kharel said the government had sent a letter in the name of United Democratic Madhesi Front calling for the talks.
Leader of the Maoist Centre, Ram Bahadur Thapa, said although parties associated with Federal Alliance did not attend the meeting, the ruling parties and main opposition party held discussions on the issue of resolving the existing problems.
Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Democratic), Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar, said the Prime Minister had sent the letter to agitating parties for talks expressing determination that the government wished to resolve problems through talks.