Prachanda finally favors talks under UN aegis

May 19, 2004
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Kathmandu: As per our analysis made last week, Comrade Prachanda has once again reiterated the need to go in for talks with the establishment.

In a fresh statement issued by Comrade Prachanda dated May 16, the Maoists Supremo categorically hints that his party was in favor of talks. He however, pushes his conditions for such a talk to materialize. In Prachanda’s opinion, the talk must see the adequate representation from all political forces and from among the members of the civil society including the King enjoying the support of United Nations.

“We consider for the real solution to the political imbroglio, political parties, members of the civil society and the King should converge at one point utilizing the support from the UN”, is what Prachanda says.

In his opinion, any political settlement excluding the Maoists would boomerang to the extent that it might escalate the ongoing civil war further.

Such an all party meeting, adds Prachanda, will act at a later stage as a joint political convention which would facilitate the formation of an interim government and that would later be entrusted to draft a new constitution.

“I believe such a joint forum could prove as a milestone in the present political context”, continues Prachanda.

According to Comrade Prachanda, the selection of this or that prime minister would not solve the current Himalayan problems of the country but instead would compound the problems.

Any bid to isolate the insurgency by forging alliance in between the King and the political parties would not prove beneficial to those who wish to isolate us, adds the statement issued dated 16 May.

Prachanda has also urged to honor the existing power balance in the country and facilitate the draft of an altogether a new constitution that served the interest of the people.

” I hereby appeal all the political forces, the parliamentary parties together with the members of the civil society and the common men to contribute to the materialization of such a joint meeting”, Prachanda concludes.

Now that a hint has come from the Maoist quarters that they were ready to come to the table if their conditions were met with. This is a good omen indeed for the battered country where peace has become a rare commodity.

However, what is equally interesting is that while on the one hand the Maoists wish the talks to be held, on the other, they have of late stepped up their violent activities which in effect raises concerns among the people including those who are hell bend on restoring peace.

Could be a pressure tactics to press the government to comply with their conditions. However, what is not yet clear is how the government will take Prachanda’s pronouncement of a role of the UN in the initiation of the talks. Prachanda’s idea is not bad but then what remains to be seen as to how the government responds to Prachanda’s proposal.

Mathew Kahane, UNDP Nepal office, is on record to have said that UN could come to the scene if both the rival parties agreed to its mediation efforts.

The tragedy is that Nepal is currently a government less country albeit run by the bureaucrats.

Nevertheless, indications from the other camp are encouraging.