Madhesi Front refuses to back Constitution amendment bill

Kathmandu: Prime Minister Prachanda's efforts to achieve reconciliation with the Madhesi issue received a setback on Thursday when the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) and the Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal (FSF-N) refused to back the Constitution Amendment Bill.

The Madhesi groups said that the amendment was not acceptable in its current discriminatory form.

UDMF and FSF-N made it clear that that they cannot accept the Constitution amendment bill which has been registered in Parliament by Nepal's government despite opposition from CPN-UML.

A UDMF statement, jointly issued by Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal Chair Upendra Yadav, Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Chair Mahantha Thakur and Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party-Nepal Chair Mahendra Prasad Yadav, said, “"We cannot accept the Constitution amendment bill, which was unilaterally registered in the Parliament by the government because the bill does not address the issues raised by Madhesis, Janajatis and deprived communities."

FSF-N Chair Yadav alleged that the government has comitted a blunder by going ahead with the Constitution amendment bill without addressing the demands of indigenous nationalities, Tharus, Khas, Muslims, women, Dalits and Madhesi movement.

Yadav said the provincial autonomy and 10-province model were still being treated as disputed issues and the concerns over five Tarai districts Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Kailali and Kanchanpur were yet to be addressed.