US Ambassador to Nepal, James F Moriarty, speaking in the talk program “Nepal’s Political Crisis: A Look Back, A Look Forward”, jointly organised by the Ganesh Man Singh Academy and The American Center, Wednesday, Feb 15 06. nepalnews.com/rh

US ambassador to Nepal, James F. Moriarty (File photo)
A day after the US ambassador to Nepal, James F Moriarty, called for reconciliation among constitutional forces in Nepal to save the country, leaders of the seven party opposition alliance have said reconciliation with the king is not possible until he gives up absolute powers.

Speaking at the face to face gallery of the Reporters Club on Thursday, standing committee member of the CPN-UML KP Oli said there was no possibility of reconciliation with the king at a time when he had snatched away sovereign powers of the people.

Referring to the 12-point pact between the parties and Maoists, he said parties were trying to convert a warring group into a political force which was necessary for establishment of peace in the country. Oli, however, agreed with the US envoy that bloodshed would continue if the king did not take immediate steps to address the conflict.

Former foreign minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat
(File photo)

Joint general secretary of Nepali Congress and former foreign minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, said that no one should be afraid that the rebels might overtake the political parties to capture the state mechanism. He said the intention of the rebels would be exposed during the peace talks. He said that the rebels had signed an agreement and have renewed their commitment that they would now accept multi party democracy.

General secretary of Nepali Congress (Democratic) Prakash Man Singh– who was released on Monday after a nine month long detention– said that there was a possibility of reconciliation among three forces – king, parliamentarian parties and rebels – if the king agreed for unconditional election to the Constituent Assembly. Reinstatement of the dissolved parliament is must to kickstart that process, he added.

He said reconciliation between any two forces would not bring permanent peace in the country.

General secretary of the CPN (Marxist-Leninist), CP Mainali, said that parties would not be satisfied with the agreement like that of 1990. ‘We demand that the people should be made more powerful,’ he said.

‘We have serious objection to the US suggestion that constitutional forces should unite to finish off the Maoists,’ Mainali said.

Parshuram Khapung of Rastriya Prajatantra Party said that reconciliation among the constitutional forces was essential to bring Maoists into the political mainstream.

US Ambassador to Nepal, James F Moriarty on Wednesday, called on the constitutional forces for reconciliation to restore democratic process in the country. He called upon the king to take initiative for this purpose.

“If the King and the parties remain divided, the Maoists will keep on winning,” said the American envoy. “Reconciliation between the King and the political parties would bring back democracy in the country while the failure in it could haul the country to great misery and the Maoists would inevitably seize power,” he warned.