Thapa may quit committee formed to resolve Madhesi issue

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamal Thapa has offered to step down as the coordinator of the Political Committee formed to resolve the issues of Madhesi parties over the federal boundaries if the panel remains dysfunctional.

Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli led- government had formed the 11-member committee with Thapa at its helm to settle the row as demanded by the regional parties before his visit India visit on February 19.

But, nearly three months since the committee was formed, it has remained idle.

"If the Madhes-based parties want to see me go, I'm ready to quit. I have asked the PM and top leaders of the political parties to make the committee functional or relive me of responsibilities," Kathmandu Post quoted Thapa as saying.

Sadbhawana Party Co-chairman Laxman Lal Karna had said that they would join the Thapa-led committee only if Prime Minister Oli, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal were also part of the group.

"We don't think the Thapa-led committee can address our demands. We need major political parties on board the committee," Karna said.

While some Tarai parties have criticised Oli- government for putting a known "anti-federalist" in issue, some Madhesi leaders say they have no objection to Thapa's leadership but to the process and ambiguous terms of reference.

Before Oli's visit to India negotiations took place between the ruling CPN-UML, the Maoists, the NC and the Madhesi parties on the committee's mandate but there was no headway since.