By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Three months after they walked out of the government and dealt a blow to elections and the peace process, Maoists in Nepal are ready to return to the cabinet following the inking of a pact with the ruling parties that will axe the kingdom’s two-century-old monarchy.
After protracted negotiations that often turned acrimonious, the rebels and the six ruling parties finally signed a 23-point agreement Sunday night, following more than seven hours of negotiations between the top leaders.
However, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who had been single-handedly trying to prevent the immediate sacking of King Gyanendra, did not sign the pact. His place was taken by his deputy in the ruling Nepali Congress party, kinsman Sushil Koirala.
Armed with the deal, the parties will approach parliament Monday to implement it by amending the new constitution and erasing all references to the king and the monarchy.
The amended constitution will proclaim the Himalayan kingdom a federal democratic republic with the premier wielding the executive powers once enjoyed by the king.
But King Gyanendra has been given a four-month breathing space.
The actual sacking of the king will occur only in April after the twice-deferred constituent assembly election has been held.
But he will continue to have a sword hanging over him with the constitution retaining a provision that says he can be ousted immediately if he tries to sabotage the election, provided two-third of the legislators give their assent.
Meanwhile, the rebels, who left the Koirala government on Sep 18 but did not have the resignations accepted, will rejoin the cabinet.
They held five important ministries and were said to be jockeying for one more from the finance, defence and home portfolios. However, there was no immediate information on a power-sharing agreement or when the Maoists would return to the government.
The feuding sides also agreed on a compromise on the poll system.
Nepal will go to the polls by mid-April to elect a 601-member constituent assembly instead of the earlier 497 seats.
To pacify the Maoists, who had been clamouring for a fully proportional election, the pact provides for 335 seats – almost 58 percent – to be elected through proportional election.
A total of 240 seats – nearly 42 percent – will be filled on the basis of a straight fight among contestants.
In addition, 26 members will be nominated to ensure representation to marginalized and underdeveloped communities.
To smoothen out the other obstacles in the peace negotiations, both sides have agreed to form six commissions within a month.
These include a special commission of ministers that will oversee the merger of the guerrilla combatants with the Nepal Army while a panel will look into the cases of over 1,000 people who have been missing during the decade-old insurgency.
The Maoists, on their part, have pledged to return all seized property and stop intimidation and extortion.
Both sides have also agreed not to conduct any activity that could derail the polls yet again.
However, a minor partner that is supporting the government from outside struck the first note of dissent.
The Nepal Workers and Peasants Party is demanding a socialist republic and a multi-member proportional system of election.
Though the paralysis that had been gripping the nation for over three months seems to have been resolved, the way forward will depend on the sincerity of both sides in implementing pledges.
The Maoists have continued with their violence despite signing a peace pact last year and the parties have not honoured their commitment to reintegrate the Maoist soldiers or compensate victims of state violence.
The polls and the peace process are also under threat from the mounting violence in the terai plains, breakdown in security and growing power and fuel crises.