Chairman of Samajbadi Forum and Chairman of the Sanghiya Gatbandhan, Upendra Yadav said he was not aware about the meeting. “I came to know about the meeting convened by PM only after reading Tuesday’s Kantipur daily. It wouldn’t be appropriate to attend the meeting summoned through news report,” Yadav said. “The PM has to make it clear why the meeting was called.
He has to send formal invitation. PM Oli’s manner of summoning the meeting doesn’t seem right,” Kathmandu Post quoted him as saying.
Though some of the leaders of alliance received SMS invitation for talks on their mobile phones, Yadav said he did not receive any message and that he wouldn’t go to attend the meeting based on SMS invitation.
Writing a special letter to Gathabandhan leaders last night, Prime Minister Oli had summoned an all-party meeting for this morning to discuss ways to resolve the Madhes crisis. All the political parties represented in Legislature- Parliament were invited at the meeting. Sanghiya Gathabandhan has been organising protests in Kathmandu against the new Constitution. The Madhesi forces had earlier also snubbed an all-party meeting called by PM Oli.
The chairman of Sadbhawana Party, Rajendra Mahato, on Tuesday said the recent call for talks by the Prime Minister was a positive development but pointed out that it was not sufficient. Speaking to reporters some hours after the all-party meeting, Mahato said the UDMF was ready to sit for talks if the government responded to their demands. The major demands of Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, include re-demarcation of the seven province model of federal structure, inclusiveness and proportionate representation of marginalised groups and ethnic minorities including the Madhesis, indigenous groups and dalits in all the state bodies.
SC summons Prachanda on contempt of court case
Nepal’s Supreme Court on Tuesday summoned Maoist chief Prachanda to appear before it within three days and furnish a reply on a contempt of court case against him. A single bench of acting Chief Justice Sushila Karki issued the order on a petition filed on May 16 by Advocate Dinesh Tripathi against Pracanda for criticising the judiciary in connection with the cases during the decade-long civil war.
In his complaint, Tripathi demanded a court order sentencing the former prime minister to one year’s jail and a fine of Rs 10,000 for his remarks against the judiciary, saying Prachanda’s remarks has gravely defamed the apex court. Prachanda, 61, reportedly had accused the judiciary of hatching a conspiracy to derail the peace process as it was issuing verdicts on the conflict-era cases though they fell under the jurisdiction of recently formed Truth and Reconciliation Commission.