Kathmandu, Apr 27:
The United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) Friday decided to go against proposal for provinces made by the main ruling partner UCPN-Maoist. Earlier on Thursday, the Maoists tabled a new proposal with a total of 10 provinces, including two provinces in Madhes.
The meeting of UDMF held at Singha Durbar decided to demand merger of the two separate provinces into one in Mades by amending the report of the state restructuring high-level commission.
After the meeting, UDMF leader and co-chairman of Nepal Sadbhavana Party Laxman Lal Karna said the meeting decided to implement the demand of one Madesh-one Province.
"We decided to demand One Madhes-One Province by making minor amendment to the SRC report," he said.
General secretary of Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Loktantrik Jitendra Dev said the leaders of UDMF protested the Maoist proposal saying that it was unveiled with the intent to split Madhes.
"We have no reservation over the number of federal states. But, we cannot agree on making two provinces in Madhes," he further said.
Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, Minister for Information and Communications Raj Kishor Yadav, chairman of Tarai-Madhes Loktantrik Party Mahantha Thakur, chairman of Tarai-Madhes Loktantrik Party, Nepal, Mahendra Yadav and other leaders of UDMF were present at the meeting.
The UDMF will make its official stance public on the state restructuring after the next meeting, which will be held very soon.
Menwhile, Minister for Information and Communications, Raj Kishore Yadav has said that a base has been seen that the Madhesh-centric parties would agree on the UCPN (Maoist) proposal on federal states.
Addressing a party workers gathering of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum ( Republic) in Banke on Friday, he said that a possibility was high that the Madhesh-based parties would accept the Maoists’ proposal on 10 federal states with some amendments.
He expressed his confidence that the peace process would conclude soon since the army integration, the major part of the peace process, was near to a conclusion.
Minister Yadav, who is also the Acting Chairman of MJF (Republic), claimed that the new constitution would be ‘inclusive one’ and address the voices of the backward communities.
At the programme presided over party’s district Chairman Kapil Dev Gupta, party’s central secretary Sandhya Dev, central member Abdul Juabbar and Minister of State for Agriculture, Om Prakash Yadav said the Madhesi-based parties would not comprise on the Madhes issues while federating the country.
Meanwhile, Minister Yadav visited the Federation of Nepali Journalists, Banke chapter office today and acquired information about its activities.
On the occasion, the Information and Communications Minister said that the Ministry has been doing necessary homework to make the Nepali journalism more disciplined.
Stating that the Ministry was studying on the implementation aspect of the Working Journalists Act, he pledged to take measures for the enforcement of the Act after holding discussions with the bodies concerned.
