Kathmandu: The Heads of mission of the EU, United States, Australia, Norway, Canadian Cooperation office, Swiss Agency for Development, SDC, and UN, to recall, issued a press release dated 11 November, wherein the countries and the development agencies made fervent appeal to the Maoists and the government as well to work constructively and with determination towards creating an environment conducive for negotiations and dialogue.

The statement is faultless except that the signatories of the press release knowingly or unknowing have made certain blunders which analysts prefer to point out for their perusal.

The fact is that the paragraph which reads, ” at the same time, we strongly appeal to the government, the political parties, the Royal Palace and the Royal Nepal Army to commit themselves to a joint approach in this respect”.

Fine!

However, the stress provided to the Royal Palace and more specifically to the Royal Nepal Army to commit for a joint approach is somewhat awkward.

The fact is that the press release gives an impression that the signatories consider, or at least have concluded internally, that the Palace and the Army were two separate formidable forces that must be acknowledged for a negotiated settlement with the Maoists. The Palace is a forces indeed even its detractors have recognized this hard reality. However, the international community’s special reference of the Royal Nepal Army recognizing it as if it were a separate and different political entity not falling in the jurisdiction of the government in Singh Durbar is misleading or at least tends to mislead the people.

The fact is that this appeal from the international community has come at a time when the RNA has been repeatedly reiterating that it is well under the command of the government and that it is acting as per the instructions of the government.

The appeal of the international community, however, implies that the RNA should be also convinced well in advance and that any settlement with the Maoists would not be complete if the RNA’s inner minds were neglected prior to the talks with the Maoists.

The fact is that the RNA is under the defense ministry and the defense minister is the prime minister himself and thus what could logically be deduced is that the RNA is well under the control of the government.

However, the appeal does talk separately of the good will of the RNA as well in this regard. Should this mean that the international community concludes that the RNA is not what it speaks or exhibits through statements? Does this mean that the RNA holds key to the resumption of any peace process with the Maoists and that until and unless the RNA provided green signals, the talks could not proceed even if the other stakeholders form a consensus? Does this mean that as per the conclusion of the international community, the RNA is already a force, which must be convinced prior to any talks with the Maoists? Is not it an act that unnecessarily glorifies the role of the RNA?

Analysts presume that the leaders issuing the press statement must have found some valid reasons in mentioning the names exclusively which they could have neglected altogether.

So what in essence the international community wishes to indicate? Keep on guessing.