Miscellaneous
Offer to join govt stokes differences in MJF-L
The governing parties’ offer to join the government has stoked serious differences in the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik (MJF-L).The governing parties’ offer to join the government has stoked serious differences in the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik (MJF-L).
While MJF-L Chairman Bijay Kumar Gachhadar appears keen to join the government, many leaders in his party are not positive about the offer.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s close aides said that Gacchhadhar has expressed interests to join the government, even as he has cited some reservations about the constitution amendment bill that the government has tabled in Parliament.
Besides Dahal, also the chairman of the CPN (Maoist Centre), Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba also is learnt to have reached out to Gachhadhar with the offer to join government.
“We are still counting on him; he hasn’t rejected the offer. He has said he will revert after holding discussion in his party,” close aide to PM Dahal told the Post.
MJF-L General Secretary Ram Janam Chaudhary, however, dismissed any possibility of his party joining the government. But he confirmed that the party leadership is in touch both with the government and the main opposition CPN-UML.
“The party will neither join the government nor back the incomplete amendment bill. It is the official decision of our party,” Chaudhary told the Post. MJF-L, the largest regional party representing the Tharu and Madhesi constituencies with 14 seats in Parliament, has insisted that the constitution amendment bill should be revised before it is put to vote.
“The row over boundaries should be resolved first. The government is trying to invite more trouble by proposing an incomplete solution,” said Chaudhary, adding parts of Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Kailali and Kanchanpur should be aligned between Hill and plains provinces at the minimum for broader acceptability of the constitution.
The bill tabled in the Parliament has proposed carving out a province in the western plains comprising Banke, Bardiya, Dang, Kapilvastu and Rupandehi districts and parts of Nawalparasi.