Parties to fulfil all demands except autonomy of Terai

Kathmandu, Feb 23 (UNI) A meeting of the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) today agreed to fulfil all demands except calling for an autonomous Madhes state, put forth by the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front, media reports said here.

The demand, seeking autonomy for the Madhes with right to self-determination, could not be fulfilled since it was up to the elected Constituent Assembly to take such major decisions, Kantipur quoted CPN, UML leader Jhalanath Khanal as saying after the meeting at the Prime Minister's residence Baluwatar this morning.

The SPA had called on all to work towards conducting the much-awaited Constituent Assembly elections on April 10 successfully, he said.

The SPA declared that the demands inciting threat to the national sovereignty could not be fulfilled, Mr Khanal said.

The coalition government had invited the agitating Madhes-based parties for talks to resolve differences expressing its commitment to fulfil all other demands, he added.

Today's meeting also condemned the meeting of the Nepali Congress and Madhesi leaders carried out at the Indian Embassy, kantipur quoted Communist leader CP Mainali as saying.

There was a meeting at the for Indian embassy in Kathmandu between the representatives Nepali Congress and Madhesi leaders in the presence of Indian ambassador.

Top leaders of the seven parties including Nepal Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and Maoist Chairman Prachanda participated in today's meeting.

An alliance of three major agitating Madhes-based parties--- Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF), Terai-Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) and Sadbhawana Party--- UDMF has put forth a six-point demand that includes an autonomous Madhes state with a republican order and right to self determination, and a provision that allows the parties, which have filed less than 50 per cent of candidacy for the Constituent Assembly elections, not to field candidates for the proportional representation system.

UNI XC MS RK1829