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| Nepali PM's Call for Dialogue Draws Mixed Reactions |
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The chairman of the Madeshi Peoples' Rights Forum (MPRF) has said the forum was ready to sit for dialogue with Nepali government, local leading media group's website eKantipur reported on Thursday. "Although PM's address hasn't completely addressed our issues, we have taken his call for dialogue quite sincerely," Upendra Yadav said, "It's up to the government to prepare proper environment for dialogue. But our protests will continue until our issues are settled through dialogue." After an emergency meeting of MPRF on Wednesday evening, Upendra Yadav made the remarks in response to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's call for dialogue on Wednesday afternoon. Upendra Yadav also said their demands for federal republic, proportional representation on the basis of population, the Terai as an autonomous region could "be settled on the dialogue table". Similarly, the indigenous groups took the PM's call for dialogue positively, but said the remarks couldn't address the real issues of the indigenous, Dalit (the untouchable in caste) and marginalized people. "We had demanded guarantee of our representation in the interim constitution," said Pasang Sherpa, chairman of Nepal Indigenous Nationalities' Federation. "However, the PM's call for dialogue is positive." Nepal Sadbhawana Party, one of the protesting parties, has also taken the PM's call for dialogue quite positively. But, the party, in a statement issued Thursday said the address didn't tackle issues of the Terai people. "As the Terai communities are demanding amendment in the interim constitution by including federal state structure, special national census and structure of constituencies on the basis of population, the PM's address hasn't clearly addressed them". Welcoming Wednesday's Prime Ministerial address, various political parties and organizations, urged the Madhesi groups to immediately stop violent protests and come to the negotiating table. Prime Minister Koirala Wednesday announced to increase the number of parliamentary constituencies from 205 to address the demand for enhanced representation from Terai-centric political outfits. He made it clear that no district would face seat-cut. He also made a commitment to switch over to federal system once the new constitution is drafted following constituent assembly polls. Koirala invited the aggrieved parties to resolve the crisis through talks. The violent demonstrations, mainly led by MPRF, began on Jan. 19. MPRF claimed that one of its members was shot dead by a cadre of the Communist Party of Nepal (formerly known as guerrilla). MPRF activists later collided with policemen and locals, which has claimed the lives of at least 10 people. Many Terai towns witnessed curfews, strikes and widespread vandalism of public and private property in the unrest. The Madhesi activists have been demanding a federal structure of the state, proportional system of elections and delimitation of electoral constituencies based on population. Madhesi people are people mainly living in Nepal's south Terai plains with Indian origin. (Xinhua News Agency February 1, 2007) |
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