No dialogue with govt in existing scenario: UDMF leaders
Leaders of the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) that has imposed an indefinite general strike across Terai since last six days have said there won’t be any dialogue with the government in the current scenario.
Organising a press conference in the capital on Monday, the UDMF leaders stressed that the government should first all of all create a favourable environment for talks -- by not resorting to using extreme force to quell the ongoing agitations in Terai; provide free medical treatment and compensation to those injured during recent protests; and respond positively to the six demands put forward by the Front.
“No negotiation is going to take place unless the government creates favourable environment,” said Mahantha Thakur, a leader of the UDMF and chairman of Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party (TMLP).
Saying that the ongoing protest movement would go on until the Madhesi people achieved their rights, Thakur announced that the agitating parties, including his own, were not going to submit the closed list of candidates to be elected under proportional voting system in the April 10 constituent assembly election.
The parties are required to submit the closed list of candidates for PR seats on February 20 and the list of candidates for direct voting system on February 25.
Thakur said the agitating parties had not forged any working alliance with the armed Terai groups now, but he didn’t rule out the possibility of an alliance in the future.
“We will ask them [armed groups] to help us,” said he.
Speaking at the same press conference, chairman of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, Upendra Yadav, accused the government of trying to suppress the agitations, and asserted that CA election would not be possible unless the UDMF demands were address.
The demand for “autonomous Terai province with right to self determination” is not meant to disintegrate the country, he claimed. nepalnews.com mk Feb 18 08
