Rebels and government to start fresh talks

The Nepalese government and Maoist rebels are due to begin a fresh round of peace talks this week, with both parties determined to see significant progress towards ending a decade of violence in the Himalayan country, senior government officials said on Wednesday. “For the coming talks, very serious homework has been done by both sides,” said newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister Amik Sherchan. The government appears determined to remove all potential obstacles which could derail the talks and in a gesture of goodwill ahead of the talks, freed 190 rebels on Tuesday. The present interim government - formed by the seven main national parties in April after the end of direct rule of Nepalese monarch King Gyanendra following nationwide protests - still has no Maoist members. However, the Maoists will be joining once a new interim government is formed, which is among the crucial issues to be finalised during the talks, the party leaders said. “This time, the Maoist rebels’ top leader, Prachanda, and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala will hold direct talks to discuss the key issues,” Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula said. “Discussions will be held on arms management and demobilisation of the People’s Liberation Army (the Maoist militia),” he said, adding that these two vital issues would be sorted out before the Maoists joined the new interim government, which is to be formed between July and August. Following this, the elections for a constituent assembly - which will work towards introducing a new Nepali constitution - are scheduled to be held between October 2006 and March 2007. “I am hopeful that the Maoists will not take up arms following the elections,” Sitaula, who is also the main coordinator of the government’s negotiation team, maintained. He also explained that the Maoists and the parties in the interim government have all put their differences aside, saying they have realised their past mistakes and moved ahead with understanding. “We can not delay this [peace process] anymore,” he said, adding that both groups had made mistakes. “We were the ones who put a price on the heads of the Maoists. And these are the same Maoists who had killed our friends (party members) and rendered them homeless,” Sitaula said.