Three parties to hold consultations with Madhesi parties jointly on Tuesday

The three major parties have decided to hold consultations with Madhesi parties jointly on Tuesday morning.

The meeting of the three parties – Nepali Congress (NC), Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) and Maoists – held at the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction ended, Monday evening, agreeing to hold joint meeting with Madhesi parties.

They have not reached to any decision regarding the demands of the Madhesi parties for incorporating the Madhes autonomous province and collective recruitment of Madhesis in national army in the proposed bill to introduce fifth amendment of the constitution.

"We agreed to hold meetings with Madhesi parties to resolve the deadlock. But we are not going to accept the demand for single Madhes province. That is not going to happen," said Mohan Baidya Kiran, senior Maoist leader, talking to reporters after the meeting of three parties.

Although the three parties were scheduled to hold the meeting with three Madhesi parties – the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP) and Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) – on Monday itself, the meeting could not take place after the MJF leaders stayed away, say reports.

The MJF coordinator Upendra Yadav, instead, held a separate meeting with UML leaders on Monday afternoon.

The Madhesi parties have been obstructing the meeting of Constituent Assembly since last few days raising their demands. On Monday also they obstructed the CA meeting for the fourth consecutive time.