By IANS
Kathmandu : After former US president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter’s bid to push Nepal’s deadlocked peace process forward by offering a new compromise formula, it is now the Europen Union’s (EU) turn to extend a helping hand.
An EU delegation will arrive in Kathmandu Monday on a four-day visit to urge Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to hold the twice-stalled constituent assembly election at the earliest and offer assistance in holding the crucial polls.
The delegation, led by Pedro Moitinho de Almeida, Special Representative of the EU presidency for Political Dialogues with Third World Countries, is expected to meet the prime minister, government officials, leaders of the major parties, including the Maoists, human rights defenders and representatives of civil society.
Acting on behalf of Portugal, which holds the current EU presidency, the British embassy in Kathmandu in a statement Friday said the delegation will offer its support to the government to “put in place the key building blocks of the peace process to enable credible elections at the earliest opportunity”.
The EU is offering assistance for improvement of public security, discussion on the future of Maoist combatants, an end to impunity for human rights abuses, progress on development and dialogue with marginalized groups.
Earlier this month, the UN Mission in Nepal that was given a year’s mandate to manage the arms and armies of the Maoists as well as the state army, had also indicated that it would like to have its mandate extended to offer “support” to improve public security as well as merge the guerrilla army with the state army. The government, however, refused the offer.
The ruling parties have also said that though Carter was free to make suggestions as a well-wisher of Nepal, it was up to the parties to decide what they should do.