Leaders of ruling Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and the Maoists have expressed hopes of reaching a breakthrough in the ongoing peace talks within a week.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, addressing a ceremony at Shreegha Bihar in Kathmandu, on Tuesday, said that “decisive” talks would be held “very soon.”

Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), has added that since “the SPA leaders and the Maoists are seriously engaged in homeworks, a fruitful summit meeting is likely to take place within this week.”

On the other hand, Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has said that since “in order to hold Constituent Assembly elections by mid-June 2007, there ought to be interim government in place by mid-November, and so, the summit meeting has to take place in a matter of few days.”

The Congress party held an internal consultation on Tuesday to discuss about various options regarding the issue of arms management – which apparently has become the only remaining contentious issue. “Now there are only a few hitches remaining in this issue of arms management. We are not in a mood to further complicate this issue. We want it resolved in a matter that is acceptable to all,” said Ram Chandra Poudel, general secretary of Nepali Congress (NC).

Meanwhile, the US and Indian governments, too, seem to have stepped up their efforts regarding Nepal peace process. The American ambassador to Nepal James Moriarty has just returned from his visit to New Delhi, where he shared views with Indian authorities regarding the peace process.

Likewise, on Tuesday, Maoist chairman Prachanda and leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai went to Indian embassy in Kathmandu to meet with envoy Shiv Shankar Mukherjee where they discussed the prevailing political situation. Dr. Bhattarai later informed that they had gone there at the invitation of Mukherjee.

Amid the intense efforts in the country and outside, analysts here are keeping their fingers crossed about a breakthrough happening in the forthcoming summit meeting.