By IANS
Kathmandu : Intensive security arrangements are being made for former US president and Nobel laureate Jimmy Carter who arrives here Wednesday to show international support for Nepal's ongoing peace process and the crucial November election.
Though Carter's four-day visit will be on behalf of the Carter Center, the non-profit organisation he founded with his wife Rosalyn in 1982 for global peace and health, he will be escorted by American Secret Service personnel in view of his status as former US president.
Besides, additional security will be provided by the Nepal government.
Sharon Hudson-Dean, acting director at the American Center in Kathmandu, said the American Embassy was coordinating the former president's security needs with the Secret Service and the security agencies of Nepal.
Carter Center officials indicated that sniffer dogs and metal detectors could be used to screen visitors.
Accompanied by former US ambassador A. Peter Burleigh, Carter Center Democracy Programme director Dr David Carroll and Carter Center Nepal field director Darren Nance, the high-profile visitor will meet Nepal Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, other top political leaders and officials of the Election Commission.
In a piquant twist, he will also meet Maoist supremo Prachanda and his deputy Baburam Bhattarai.
The Maoists are still regarded as a terrorist organisation by the US government and are banned in America.
US Ambassador to Nepal James Francis Moriarty has been expressing repeated concern at the continued violent activities of the communist guerrillas despite signing a peace pact and joining the government.
Moriarty has accused the rebels of retaining arms and soldiers outside the UN-supervised cantonments, where they are supposed to remain to ensure free and fair elections.
Carter will also meet leaders of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, regarded as pro-monarchy, but not King Gyanendra. Instead, he will be meeting leaders of marginalized groups in Nepal.
While the former president is scheduled to visit districts outside Kathmandu valley, the details have not been given out due to security reasons.
Though it was announced earlier that Rosalynn Carter would accompany her husband, she has cancelled her trip due to family reasons.
The Nobel laureate had been earlier scheduled to visit Nepal last year, but the trip had to be postponed due to the political turmoil following the ouster of King Gyanendra's 15-month regime.
Carter's visit will put Nepal's peace process and the election in fresh limelight.
The Carter Center has been invited by the Nepal government to observe the November poll that will decide if King Gyanendra keeps his throne or becomes a commoner with the abolition of the crown.
Since March, the Center began deploying observers in all five of Nepal's development regions to assess if the environment was conducive to free and fair polls.
On the eve of the visit, the Center issued a warning, saying it was worried about the "poor security environment" with frequent reports of "violence, vandalism, intimidation and harassment" by various groups.
It also said that Maoist cadres were still persisting with activities that violated the peace pact and negatively affected the ongoing transition process.