NEW DELHI: With its Parliament adjourned for the next five days, the Nepal Government on Sunday did not table the two constitutional amendment bills that would have met some of the demands of the agitating Madhesis.
On Sunday, over 100 trucks carrying essential goods and petroleum products entered Nepal from India. More than 50 trucks entered via the Bhairahawa-Sunauli checkpoint, while some others took the Biratnagar-Jogbani trading point route.
The amendments could not be placed as the Nepal Parliament was adjourned soon after it met over the death of former lawmakers. The next meeting would be on Friday at 1 pm. The bills are aimed at allowing inclusive proportional representation of marginalised communities and population-based electoral constituencies. Madhesi parties have decided to continue with their stir, even as they formed a group to talk to the main political parties.
Meanwhile, political parties have time till Thursday to rally around a consensus candidate for the next Prime Minister. In case of no consensus, the President will start the process to elect a Prime Minister through majority.
Prime Minister Koirala had announced that he would step down, but has not tendered his resignation yet — a move seen to put pressure on UML leader K P Oli to support the constitutional amendments. Oli is seen as being behind the rush job to pass the Constitution, which was promulgated on September 20 and which has led to the massive Madhesi movement.
The United Democratic Madhesi Front has agreed to form a delegation to hold talks with the big three political parties, but has stood firm on its stand that it would not come to an agreement unless the three parties addressed demands of federal state demarcation.
Nepal even claimed it would get fuel trucks through Tatopani border point from China. “Because if pushed to the wall or as you say ‘marta kya naa karta’, we will be forced to approach others... though it would be logistically difficult, but if left with no option, Nepal would approach other countries including China,” said Nepal’s Ambassador to India Deep Kumar Upadhyay.