Committed to incorporate Madhesi demands in Constitution: PM

Nepal's Prime Minister Prachanda today said he is committed to amend the Constitution to address the demands of all indigenous communities of the country including the Madhesis.
Addressing a programme organised by theNepalFederation of Indigenous Nationalities here to mark the 22nd International Day of the World's Indigenous People, the Prime Minister said, "the government would try to implement the Constitution in a way that all the oppressed ethnic communities and indigenous people would feel their ownership in it."
He said he is committed to make the Constitution acceptable to all people through amendment to it.
The government is working towards forging a national consensus towards that direction, he added.

The Madhesis and various indigenous nationalities have been demanding the identity based federalism to be incorporated in the statute, that was promulgated in September last year.
The Madhesi parties had led the six months-long agitation, mainly to protest against the seven-province federal model enshrined in the Constitution.

The protests by Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, had also disrupted the supplies of petroleum products and cooking gas among other essentials to Nepal.
The 61-year-old Prachanda was elected Prime Minister on Wednesday for the second time after his brief stint with premiership came to an end in 2009.
Last week, Prachanda-led government has decided that the families of those killed during the Madhesis' protests over the new Constitution will be given Rs 1 million each in compensation.

The decision was part of the deal ruling alliance Nepali Congress and CPN-Maoist Centre had signed with the Madhesis after previous K P Sharma-led government had resigned.