Two leading citizens’ groups have urged His Majesty King Gyanendra to immediately take initiative to diffuse what they called grave political crisis in the country by calling off municipal polls, releasing all the political prisoners and invite CPM (Maoist) for talks.
A joint statement — signed by former Justice and chairman of the Citizens’ Commission for Peace (CCP) Krishna Jung Rayamajhi, general secretary of CCP Bishnu Pukar Shrestha and chairman of Civil Society for Peace and Democracy (CSPD) Dr. Sunder Mani Dixit—on Wednesday has also appealed His Majesty to create what they called minimum environment for peace by withdrawing the terrorist tag against Maoist leaders.
“In fact, the four-month-long unilateral ceasefire announced by the CPN (Maoist) was a great opportunity to restore peace and consensus in the country,” the civil society groups said. “But the utter apathy by the government towards the Maoist move has brought about a series of fresh violence in the country. It has made all the Nepalis worried,” they added.
Since His Majesty has assumed direct rule of the country, the main responsibility to direct the country’s polity towards a direction of consensus also falls upon the monarch, the statement said.
The citizens’ groups warned that the country was on the verge of becoming a failed state due to what they called the on-going civil war and political polarization had become intense.
“It is not in the country’s interest to allow such a situation to continue for long,” they said.
On Tuesday, former premier and a senior leader of Nepali Congress, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, had appealed His Majesty King Gyanendra to give up his direct rule, call of municipal polls and form a powerful all-party government that will hold dialogue with the Maoists and conduct parliamentary elections in the country.
There has been no response to latest calls by senior politicians and the civil society groups from the royal government as yet.
Meanwhile, reports said the meeting of council of ministers was going on Wednesday to review the latest political and security situation in the country ahead of the municipal polls slated on February 8.
No details were available.