Government designates Minister Wagle convenor of talks with Maoists, other details

August 17, 2001
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Minister for Housing and Physical Planning Chiranjivi Wagle has been appointed convenor of talks with Maoists who have been asked to sit down for talks in the next 10 days, an announcement of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s office said Friday evening.

Other members of the negotiating team were not announced. The venue of the talks has been kept a secret as the government said it will take full responsibility for the three member negotiating team of the rebels announced earlier.

The government asked the insurgents to stop making anti monarchy statements and end acts of violence during peace talks to end an insurgency that has claimed more than 1,800 lives on nearly six years.

“Government is serious about talks and has taken maximum restraint. This should not be misconstrued as a weakness,” the statement said. In another gesture to the rebels, the government decided Friday to release all Maoists in judicial custody, Communications Minister Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta said.

Two senior ministers and representatives of a group affiliated with the Maoists continued their second round of talks Friday to discuss a rebel demand to slap a nation-wide ban of liquor sale from Saturday as both sides described the talks positive.

The third round of talks will be held next Friday, an announcement said. Maoists said they will continue their publicity campaign to ban the sale but will not use violence to stop sales from Saturday after a government request, negotiators said.