Kathmandu : Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s efforts to resume talks with the Federal Alliance failed to materialise after the Madhesis refused to turn up, and instead, demanded a “proper invitation”. The agitating parties which have been protesting in Kathmandu, sought a formal invitation addressed to the Sanghiya Gathabandhan, an alliance formed by the agitating forces, instead of a letter addressed to the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM), reports the Kathmandu Post.
Prime Minister had on Monday invited the Morcha for talks and they south formal invitation yesterday. The alliance had earlier declined two invitations questioning the capacity of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa-led political mechanism to address their key concerns, including redrawing of provincial boundaries.
Since February, the Morcha and the government have not held talks, the day when Thapa-led mechanism was formed. “We would respond to the calls for talks only when the government sends another letter addressed to the Sanghiya Gathabandhan,” Kathmandu Post quoted Rajendra Shrestha, general secretary of Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal, one of the constituents of the SLMM as saying.
An all-party meet called by Oli on Tuesday ended without entering into the agenda after Madhesi parties did not participate. Oli’s aides, however, said that Morcha representatives did not attend the meeting “due to their own internal differences”.
Pramod Dahal, press adviser to Oli, later issued a statement, claiming that “the time table of the talks was set in consultation with Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Chairman Mahantha Thakur”. “PM Oli was planning to hold the meeting at 9am. But the meeting was delayed by an hour as per Thakur’s request as he had a prior appointment with a doctor,” Dahal said. “But he rang up half an hour later to say that the Morcha would decide about participating in the talks only after holding an internal meeting,” he added.
