Sunday, October 15, 2006

Govt-Maoists struggle to reach deal, talks postponed indefinitely

KATHMANDU, Oct 15 - The much-awaited high-level talks between the seven-party alliance (SPA) government and the Maoist rebels have failed to reach any agreement on the position of the monarch and arms management, among other contents for the interim constitution but both the sides agreed to postpone the talks indefinitely.
The talks, which began at the prime minister's residence, Baluwatar at around 5 p.m., some three hours after the stipulated time, ended within a few minutes after the "formal meeting" between the SPA and Maoist top leaders on Sunday. PM Girija Prasad Koirala informed about the postponement of the talks after several informal meetings between the leaders.
According to sources, the talks couldn’t proceed after the four major political parties that include the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, NC-D and CPN-Maoist failed to reach a consensus on the arms management issue.
The government, in the meeting, had asked the rebels to lay down all their arms, while the Maoists insisted that they would put their arms and armies in the cantonment areas and put away "only a few" of their weapons. The Maoists put forward a new proposal that the Nepali Army should also lay down its arms if the government wants the Maoists to do so, sources said.
The government wants the weapons separated from the Maoist People's Liberation Army men so as to ensure that the Maoists do not have their personal army while in the interim administration. But the Maoists strongly object to the SPA proposal.
The Maoists have also been saying that they are ready to lock up their weapons provided the SPA agrees to declare a republic state in the interim statute or make a written commitment to go for the republican setup after the constituent assembly elections.
The leaders who attended the meeting said that PM Koirala would summon the next meeting after consulting with the other parties.
Maoist Chairman Prachanda with his talks team members had entered the talks venue after nearly one and a half hours.
The meeting discussed the finalization of the interim constitution, role of the monarchy in the interim period and arms management.
Meanwhile, the Maoists have said that the talks were postponed after the SPA and the rebels failed to reach any conclusion on the crucial issues, which were debated during today's sitting at Baluwatar.
"There are some crucial issues including arms management and the position of the king for which both sides need to reach an agreement," coordinator of the Maoist talks team Krishna Bahadur Mahara told ekantipur.
He, however, said that discussions are underway and the summit talks would "soon agree on a political package."
"We (the Maoists) have stressed on the political package which includes all contents of the interim constitution," Mahara said.
Likewise, Pradeep Gyawali, a member of the government negotiating team said that the talks were postponed after both sides still needed to undertake adequate homework on the contentious political issues.
This is the fourth sitting of the top brass leaders of the SPA and the Maoists in a week in an attempt to hammer out a peace deal, which is expected to open the door for the rebels, who launched a decade-old insurgency, to join the mainstream politics.
Last Tuesday, the SPA and the Maoists agreed to hold the constituent assembly elections, which will rewrite a new constitution permanently.
'Postponement of talks not unnatural'
Meanwhile, veteran political science teacher Dr. Lok Raj Baral said that the postponement of the summit talks was not unnatural, as a common stance on several issues among the eight parties who have their own party positions has to be reached.
"It's clear that there are several issues which have remained controversial among the seven parties. It takes time for them (SPA and the Maoists) to have a common view on the serious issues," he said.
Baral also said that there was no alternative left for the eight parties but to reach a consensus in order to create a political way out.

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