“We are in constituent view that any part of Madhes or hills cannot be separated and we never said it. But creating a state that belongs to the plains from east and west by separating it from hills is against the national interest,” he said during an interaction with a group of senior journalists on Monday.   

“The suggestion that some areas in hills should not be mixed with the plains is amazing,” said Oli, who has been very critical of identity and ethnicity-based federalism particularly after the UML emerged as the second largest party in the second 2013 CA elections and he was elected the party chairman at its general convention last year. Calling ethnicity a sentimental issue, he warned such sentiments would turn Nepal into another Rwanda. “We never accept anything that disturbs our social fabric,” he said, adding that the new constitution would be promulgated through consensus if possible in near future.

During the negotiations with the ruling NC and UML, the opposition UCPN (Maoist) and Madhes-centric parties also made clear that they want provinces based on multiple identities.

In another context, Oli said they were keeping the international community abreast with the current political development, claiming that the latter has “all the confidence” in the current government. “This is the government of democratic parties which came into being during the Rana regime. So the international community cannot go against this government,” he said, with a special reference to India.

“The relations between Nepal and India have stood test of time. Our relations with India was good and will always remain that way,” said Oli, refuting media reports that he had differences with Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae. “Those reports are without foundation.”

The UML chairman said his party was working in unity, taking a flexible approach in order not to let this CA fail. But Oli made himself clear that the UML will not make any compromise on the national integrity. Arguing that naming provinces based only on ethnic

identity could not solve the problems of the targeted ethnic groups, Oli said a process was needed to promulgate the new constitution to see if all 601 CA members agreed on the issues.

“We will promulgate the new constitution as per the people’s mandate,” Oli said, assuring that his party was working to promulgate the new constitution guided by peace, democracy, equity, national unity and prosperity, and the provinces would be formed as such that it is viable for the country.

Similarly, party Vice-chairman Bamdev Gautam urged the UCPN (Maoist)

not to misinterpret the

ruling parties’ efforts for dialogue as their weakness, insisting that nothing would divert them from the constitution drafting process. He

said the past agreements could be reviewed as no concrete agreements were made on the new constitution.

‘Parties still have time for accord’

Chairman of Constituent Assembly (CA) Subas Nembang said on Monday that the parties still have time to forge consensus on contentious issues of new constitution.

The chief of constitution drafting body said that accomplishment of task by Questionnaire Committee has paved the way for the parties to sit for negotiations. He said it would be better for the parties if they forge consensus on contents of the new constitution before Thursday’s

CA meeting. 

Nembang, however, said that the constitution drafting process will not be stopped if the parties fail to forge consensus on the disputed issues. The preparations of questions have

laid out the foundation of the drafting process, Nembang said.

“Parties have no alternatives to consensus and CA is an appropriate place for forging consensus.”