Maoists unveil new road map for rescuing peace talks

By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS

Kathmandu : With peace negotiations floundering for nearly two months, Nepal’s Maoist guerrillas have unveiled a new road map that seeks the sacking of King Gyanendra and reshuffling of the interim government of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.


Support TwoCircles

Maoist chief Prachanda’s initiative comes on the eve of a new session of parliament starting Monday, and is being regarded as part of the rebel campaign to increase pressure on Koirala.

Unveiled at an interaction called by the Maoists Friday between the major political parties and leaders of civil society, the document holds feudalism and the two-century old institution of monarchy responsible for Nepal’s woes and demands an immediate end to both.

The Maoists are asking the ruling parties to start a campaign for a federal republic, calling it the only way to preserve Nepal’s sovereignty and prevent disintegration.

The road map includes some of the key demands of the Maoists from the past: adopting a fully proportional form of election, integrating the rebel People’s Liberation Army with the Nepal Army and implementing social and financial reforms.

It is also calling for a review of all peace agreements and the formation of an all-party panel to monitor the implementation of pacts.

In a direct attack on Koirala and his Nepali Congress, whom the Maoists are accusing of stalling the peace process and trying to save the king, Prachanda has also called for the scrapping of the newly constituted peace and reconstruction ministry headed by Koirala’s lieutenant Ram Chandra Poudel.

Instead, the Maoists want a peace commission comprising members from all the major parties.

Indicating what would make them rejoin the government they had quit in September and stop their war on the election, the road map says the Koirala government should make way for a new one with reshuffled portfolios.

Though there are expectations that the new parliament session would be able to announce a fresh date for the twice-stalled constituent assembly election, the road map virtually rules it out, saying a new date should be declared only after a political understanding between the parties and an atmosphere of trust.

Remarking that the election is not a panacea that will cure all ills overnight, Prachanda warned that if the new session of parliament failed to implement its earlier decisions — to abolish monarchy immediately and adopt a fully proportional representation system for the election — his party would start a new revolt on the streets and form a new parliament from there.

SUPPORT TWOCIRCLES HELP SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND NON-PROFIT MEDIA. DONATE HERE