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Nepal's PM Promises More Representation From Southern Plains
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=16278D8:A6F02AD83191E16063388E289F4DA7E39574F7DCC14957C0 Move follows
protests in which more than 20 people have died in the past three
weeks in the tiny Himalayan country Nepal's government has promised to
give people from the southern plains a greater role in shaping the
country's future. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the move
follows protests in which more than 20 people have died in the past
three weeks in the tiny Himalayan country.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has pledged more representation
in parliament for the Madhesi community, which lives on a strip of
flat, fertile country in Nepal's south. He also said Nepal will be
turned into a federal state.







Demonstrators belonging to Nepal's Madhesi Janadhikar Forum burn tires
during protests at Jaleswor, Mahottari 375 kilometres  south of
Kathmandu, 26 Jan 2007The country's seven-party ruling alliance hopes
the announcement made late Wednesday will pacify the Madhesis, who
have held violent protests since mid-January. More than 20 people have
died and hundreds injured in clashes between police and demonstrators.

It is uncertain that the move will end the turmoil. A Madhesis leader
called the prime minister's announcement a positive step, but said it
marked only a "partial achievement". He vowed to continue with the
protests until the region is granted autonomy.

The protests erupted after the government approved a temporary
constitution that drew former Maoist rebels into the political
mainstream.

The Madhesis are angry because they say the peace deal with the rebels
has ended a civil war, but done little to address their concerns.

The head of Kathmandu's Center for Contemporary Studies, Lok Raj
Baral, says many of the grievances of the Madhesi people, who make up
more than one-third of the population, are genuine.

"If the population size is taken into account, then they have a very
limited number of MPs in parliament. They wanted to increase that on
basis of population," said Baral.

The plains dwellers have long complained of being sidelined in favor
of the more populated hill regions, which have been the home of most
of the country's ruling elites. They say they do not have enough
political representation, or jobs in the administration, police and
army.

The violence has cast a shadow on a peace process that ended a
decade-long Maoist insurgency. Nepal is due to hold elections later
this year to elect a body that will frame a new constitution for the
country.


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