The government held an all party meeting at the Peace Secretariat on Friday to discuss the code of conduct for the talks between the government and the Maoists, a week after it received the draft of code of conduct from the Maoists.
The meeting called by Home Minister Krishna Sitaula discussed the formation of a peace committee and process of the government-Maoist peace talks. The alliance has agreed to restructure the Peace Secretariat to facilitate the talks.
Following the meeting, Sitaula said the government held discussion with representatives of the seven-party alliance on the government-Maoist peace talks.
Talking to journalists after the meeting Sitaula said, “The alliance representatives have suggested that the government initiate talks with the Maoists at the earliest after doing necessary homework.”
The Peace Secretariat was established by the then coalition government led by Sher Bahadur Deuba in 2004 with a view to initiating dialogue with the Maoists. But the then government could not bring the Maoists to the talks table as the latter refused.
CPN-UML standing committee member Jhalanath Khanal said the talks with the Maoists would be held based on the 12-point understanding reached between the alliance and the Maoists on November 22 last year. The Peace Secretariat would be restructured.
CP Mainali of the United Left Front said they had advised the government to start talks with the Maoists as soon as possible and the government had agreed to the idea.
According to participants of the meeting, next rounds of meeting would make decisions on the modalities, procedures and jurisdiction of the peace committee, which would facilitate the government for talks.
General secretary of the Nepali Congress Ram Chandra Poudel, Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat of the Nepali Congress (Democratic), Lilamani Pokhrel of the Janamorcha Nepal, Rajendra Mahato of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandidevi), Sunil Prajapati of the Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party and Bamdev Gautam of the CPN-UML were also present in the meeting.