BROADER MADESH ALLIANCE ALSO CLOSES DOWN MADESH Kathmandu, 18 May: Parliament meets for the second day Friday after the second on the first day was obstructed Thursday by lawmakers of the broader Madesh alliance forcing Speaker Subash Nemwang to adjourn the session. Lawmakers of the five-party Madesh Pradesh didn’t participate even as they also, like the Yadav group, oppose declaration of 11 provinces by Maoists, NC and UML. TMLP central committee meeting Thursday decided to withdraw from Government on the issue of the number of provinces. Several Madeshi lawmakers said there was agreement with Maoists on either 10 or 14 provinces. Madesh parties in government Thursday asked Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai to reconsider the three-party decision; the group in taking up the issue of provinces with previous opposition parties NC and UML now in government. The group has threatened to quit government if demand isn’t fulfilled. The government, it appears, is willing to compromise judging from its previous fofur-year position not to recognize Cheetris and Brahmins s indigenous groups to promulbate aa constitution in the remaining nine days by 27 May. Tharus also demanding a province have been holding shutdowns to demand a province for themselves. Nnnn MAOIST CHIEF CONSIDERING SACK OF REBEL PARTY LAWMAKERS Kathmandu 18 May: The establishment faction of the UCPN (Maoist) is preparing to remove lawmakers loyal to the hard-line faction elected through the proportional system if they disobey the party's decision during a vote in the Constituent Assembly, The Kathmandu Post reports. The establishment faction, led by Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, fears that the hard-line faction may disregard the party's order during crucial voting in the CA for endorsing the constitution. On Wednesday, Dahal called Maoist Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya to his residence in Lazimpat to discuss the matter. According to a Maoist leader, Dahal enquired if the Baidya faction planned to go against party policy during the voting. "The list of lawmakers elected under the proportional system loyal to Baidya has been readied. If they go against party policy in parliamentary procedures, they will be removed," a leader close to Dahal said. Lawmakers elected through the proportional system can be removed as recommended by the respective party but this does not apply to those elected through the first-past-the-post system. In the meeting, Baidya did not put forth a clear view but promised to come up with a clear idea after consulting with his colleagues. "If the new constitution fails to meet the aspirations of Dalit, Janajati and marginalised groups, we will not abide by party directives," said Central Committee member Bharat Bam, who is close to Baidya. In the parliamentary system, chief whips of respective parties can issue a whip to their lawmakers to vote for a party proposal in House. As Maoist Chip Whip Dev Gurung belongs to the hard-line faction, the establishment faction fears he may create problems by not issuing whips or doing so against party policy. The Baidya faction has protested its exclusion while forging a deal on contentious issues of constitution. The faction is preparing to protest in the Constitutional Committee about the ongoing constitution-drafting process. nnnn