The agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front on Tuesday dissolved the three-member task force that was formed to negotiate with the government and three major parties to get their demands addressed. In a press conference organised by the UDMF here in Kathmandu this afternoon, Tarai-Madhesh Democratic Party’s Hridayesh Tripathi announced that the essence of the task force had ended but the talks would continue. Now the top leaders of UDMF constituents would directly deal with the government and top leaders of major parties, according to him. Holding them responsible for the stalemate on the negotiations, Tripathi accused the major parties — Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and UCPN-Maoist — of being indifferent towards the UDMF’s demands. Second rung leaders of the UDMF constituents had attended the press conference at the TMDP’s central office. The task forces of UDMF and the three major forces had failed to forge any agreement over the UDMF’s demands yesterday, as the representatives of major parties said the demands regarding two provinces in the Tarai-Madhes region, identity-based federalism and proportional inclusion could not be met.
