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Nepal : Maosts reject deadline for talks |
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Maoists in Nepal have rejected the January 13 deadline set by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba for holding peace talks even as the government expressed the hope that the rebels would gradually adopt a flexible policy towards dialogue. The deadline set by the government was “abstract and full of threats”, Maoist leader Prachanda said in a statement. However, he said, they would agree for talks “under a reliable international mediation”, hinting at UN and called for “defeating foreign reactionaries” and “ending the process of growing militarisation and civil war in the country.” He also renewed rebels’ earlier key demand for holding the election to the Constituent Assembly to draft a new Constitution.
Reacting to his statement, a Government spokesman said, Government was open to discuss any agenda with the Maoists including the Constituent Assembly.
The Maoist rebels’ rejection of the January 13 deadline was expected. It seems secret talks the government was reportedly holding with the rebels have failed or else an outcome would have been announced. Clearly, political observers say, Deuba is under pressure to hold general elections in April next year since this was King Gyanendra’s main objective when he reinstated him last June. But, a free and fair exercise will not be possible unless the Government comes to terms with the rebels who control about 40 of Nepal’s 75 districts.
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