The underground Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) have announced a temporary truce with the government in response to an appeal of newly appointed Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to stop all kinds of violent activities.

The chairman of Maoist party Comrade Prachanda issued a statement Monday

evening announcing a ceasefire to create an atmosphere for talks with the government.

Earlier the newly appointed Prime Minister Deuba had called upon the Maoist leader to stop violence and all other offensive activities and come to the negotiating table to end the six-year old insurgency that has already claimed more than 1700 lives.

Prachanda’s statement came immediately after Deuba’s appeal for talks. In his statement, Prime Minister Deuba said that he has instructed police not to carry out any offensive activities against Maoist workers.

In the statement, Maoist leader Prachanda said that he has already instructed his workers to temporarily stop all kinds of offensive acts. Prachanda has described Deuba’s appointment as Prime Minister as a positive move and appreciated Deuba’s priority for solving theMaoist insurgency.

Prachanda, however, has asked the government to abandon all policies towards Maoists taken by the previous government headed by Girija Prasad Koirala. Soon after being elected as Prime Minister, Deuba said that his priority was to solve the Maoist problem through dialogue.