New cabinet declares indefinite ceasefire

Nepal's new cabinet announced an indefinite ceasefire with Maoist rebels on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli said in the capital, Kathmandu. The decision came in response to the unilateral truce announced by the rebels six days ago after three weeks of demonstrations that forced King Gyanendra to hand power back to the government last week. The Maoists have been waging war against the government for more than a decade. The conflict has cost more than 13,000 lives. A new cabinet of ministers representing four of Nepal’s main seven political parties was formed on Tuesday - nearly four years after the Nepalese monarch King Gyanendra dissolved parliament in 2002. The cabinet includes Girija Prasad Koirala, President of the largest party, the Nepali Congress (NC), who was named acting prime minister. Six other ministers were appointed from the NC, Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), Nepali Congress (Democratic) and United Left Front (ULF) to the key ministries of home, foreign affairs, finance, physical planning and works, agriculture and cooperatives and land reforms. The original plan was to have a 21-member cabinet but that has been shelved due to differences among the parties regarding allocation of key ministerial positions. One of the leading parties, the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP), decided not to join the cabinet but will provide support in peace building efforts with Maoist rebels. "The government decided to declare a ceasefire," Oli said. "All terrorist charges on the Maoists have been removed. We are urging the Maoists to come forward for peace talks." He added that all terrorism-related charges will be dropped against the insurgents, and the government will end its designation of the Maoists as a terrorist group. Politicians involved in the new cabinet said they were under no illusions about how difficult the task ahead was. “The new parliament and the parties have a tough job ahead of them, especially in bringing the Maoist rebels into mainstream politics to restore peace in the country,” said Kasinath Adhikari, an influential member of the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) party, the second largest in the Himalayan kingdom. The Maoist’s top leader Prachanda has reportedly said his rebel movement is willing to hold peace talks as soon as the interim government is formed. The king assumed direct rule in February 2005, blaming politicians for failing to contain the Maoist insurgents, who have been waging an armed rebellion for the last 10 years. Nepal’s political parties, citizens groups and pro-democracy organisations have been organising demonstrations and mass meetings all over the country to pressure the new cabinet into forming an interim government that would include the rebels.