No lull before the storm: Nepal Madhesi lawmakers shake Parliament

Telegraph Nepal

The parliamentarians affiliated to the Broader Madhesi Alliance led by Chairman Upendra Yadav of Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Nepal disrupted the 11th session of the parliament, May 17, 2012, demanding ‘indivisible Madhesh with autonomy and right to self determination’ thus blocking the 12th Constitutional amendment bill forwarded by the government.

This has some meaning.

The broader Madhesi alliance also constitutes Madhesi parliamentarians representing ruling Unified Maoists, Forum-Loktantrik, Tarai Madhesh Loktantrik Party-Nepal, Forum-Ganatantrik and Sanghiya Sadvawana Parties.

This doubles the meaning.

The Madhesi lawmakers demanded immediately scrapping 3 Party agreement dated may 15, 2012 to constitute 11 federal states in the forthcoming constitution.

This adds strength to the meaning.

The 11th session of the parliament was summoned basically to amend clause 70 of the interim constitution.

While blocking the parliamentary proceeding, the Madhesi lawmakers were also heard demanding promulgation the new constitution within the set deadline of May 27, 2012.

With the Madhesi parliamentarians continuing to block the proceeding, the frustrated looking Speaker Subash Chandra Nembang adjourned proceedings till 3 pm May 18, 2012.

The Unified Maoists Party lawmaker Prabhu Sah addressing the session made it clear that if the May 15 deal between three parties was not scrapped immediately, the Madhesi parliamentarians will continue to block the parliament.

The division in the parties too has some intrinsic meaning.

“I will not obey the party whip in favour of 11 state”, Sah said.

The meaning now gets a new dimension.

Earlier in the day, the Alliance had organized a press meet. Upendra Yadav talking to journalists viewed that parties should settle for either 10 or 14 states but the provision for 11 state was not acceptable to the alliance. Yadav also threatened the government to prepare for indefinite period Madhesh closure beginning May 18.

The meaning has trebled.

Sarat Singh Bhandari of Forum-Loktantrik, Unified Maoists’ Politburo members Prabhu Shah, Ram Kumar Sharma, Chairman Mahendra Paswan of Dalit Janajati Party, Chairwoman Sarita Giri of Sadvawana (Anandi Devi), Chairman Ram Naresh Yadav of Naitonal Sadvawna Party, General Secretary Atma Ram Sah of Forum-Ganatantrik and some other Madhesi leaders were present at the press meet.

“Do we have to accept a deal between major parties reached at a hotel or a restaurant”, questioned Upendra Yadav and added, “There is the conspiracy to make the Constituent Assembly a defunct body”.

“We are not against the amendment of the bill of the government that has been brought to shorten the constitution drafting process”, Yadav said.

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