An official Nepali delegation, led by a Maoist leader from the plains, is in the capital to lobby with India for the newly-announced election process. The visit of the parliamentarians came even as the Madhesi agitators called for a strike in Nepal on Friday protesting against the local-level election which was announced without completing the amendment process.
“The election process is necessary. But the people’s aspirations from the Madhes region too has to be addressed as without it there could be negative fallouts,” said Prabhu Sah, leader of the International Relations and Labour Committee of the Nepali Parliament during an interaction with civil society members.
Calls for dialogue
Mr. Sah, who is originally from the plains and a member of the topmost decision making body of Maoist Centre, the ruling party of Nepal, indicated that the situation could fast deteriorate without a steady political dialogue between the Madhesis and the government of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.
The committee members met leading India-Nepal interlocutors and Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar. The visit is significant as it began on Tuesday when four Madhesi protesters died in police firing near the south-eastern town of Rajbiraj.
The Madhesis however hardened their position even as the parliamentarians continued with their visit to India. Following a meeting on Tuesday, leaders of the umbrella organisation, the United Democratic Madhesi Morcha, (UDMM) declared a nationwide strike on Friday against the election process.
“We have called for Nepal strike on Friday when the protest against the election will be intensified. Holding election is not possible without completing the amendment process and without addressing the issue of the Madhesis,” said Upendra Yadav, the coordinator of the UDMM and former Foreign Minister of Nepal.
Mr. Yadav reiterated that the election of local bodies is not the job of the central government of Kathmandu and should be held by the provincial governments.
The Madhesis have been demanding that the election, which is the first for the Himalayan country since it began the democratic process a decade ago, should be held only after the 2015 Constitution has been amended. However, members of the visiting delegation expressed confidence that the window for dialogue is still open.
