The European Union (EU) on Thursday has urged Maoist rebels fighting for a decade to turn Nepal into a communist republic to renounce violence and give up their arms.
“The EU continues to support a transition of the Maoists into a mainstream political party, but reiterates its belief that such a process must entail a firm commitment by the Maoists to renounce violence, including by putting its arms verifiably beyond use,” said a statement issued by the United Kingdom that heads the European Union as present.
As a first step, the EU calls on the Maoists to extend their present ceasefire and to work to create the right conditions for peace talks to resume, the statement said.
The statement, issued in Brussels, noted that the recent agreement between the political parties and the Maoists seems to have made some positive moves towards the peace process.
The EU also called on His Majesty King Gyanendra to reach out to the political parties to develop a common agenda for a full return to multi-party democracy.
Earlier, a high-level delegation of the EU Troika – that visited Kathmandu in October this year– had warned that there was a strong risk of political collapse in Nepal.
Talking to reporters at the end of their three-day visit to Nepal, leader of the EU Troika mission, Tom Phillips, said the EU was greatly concerned that unless all involved moved quickly to address the country’s problems effectively, there was a strong risk of political collapse in Nepal. He said the failure of the constitutional forces in Nepal could lead to a real breakdown of government institutions.
A section of Nepali intelligentsia as well as Nepal’s international friends refer to mainstream parties and the king as ‘constitutional forces’ in the country. Critics, however, say the connotation now carries little meaning as the king chose to dismiss a multi-party government and took direct control of the government in February this year.
‘’Events in 2005 have darkened prospects for a resolution to the armed conflict and political crisis. We judge the changes of 1 February to have been self-defeating,’ said the EU troika.
The EU Troika also urged HMG/Nepal and security forces to lead by example in respecting human rights, to tackle urgently the prevailing culture of impunity, and to use security legislation with utmost caution.
‘’The EU believes that the way forward has to be through an inclusive and comprehensive process to achieve a negotiated peace. The EU continues to believe that such a solution will require the assistance of an independent and credible external partner and the active support of the international community,’’ the statement said.
The troika called upon the mainstream parties – that are protesting the royal takeover– to prepare carefully for a future role in a democratically elected government, and to work to restore the faith of the electorate in the political parties, also by recognizing and correcting mistakes of the past.
To the Maoists, the EU Troika said, ‘’You should be under no illusions: the EU rejects the use of violence. We do not believe that Maoist ideology is the answer to the problems of Nepal or to the needs and wishes of the people of Nepal.’’
When asked about EU’s reactions to the proposed municipal-level elections in Nepal, Tom Phillips said elections are not announced as yet. ‘’In a country in a conflict situation, elections usually come at the end of a peace process,’’ he added.