Date:04/07/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/07/04/stories/2006070407201000.htm

National

Nepal Maoists firm on peace process, says Yechury

M. Rajeev

Talks between interim Government and Maoists will yield result

Maoists, Government fine-tuning proposals that have emerged during talks
Both sides reiterate their commitment to establishing the democratic process

U.N. intervention can give immediate international recognition to peace process

HYDERABAD: Communist Party of India (Marxist) polit bureau member Sitaram Yechury has expressed confidence that the ongoing talks between the interim Government in Nepal and the Maoist leadership will yield result in a couple of months. The process of formation of the constituent assembly and election process would begin soon after.

Mr. Yechury, who held talks with the Maoist leadership headed by Prachanda and with Nepal Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Saturday and Sunday, said the two sides were fine-tuning the proposals that emerged during the talks. They have reiterated their commitment to establishing the democratic process in the country and end the decade-old insurgency. "The two sides are firm that there will be no going back from the peace process despite some problems faced from the lower level," he said.

Points of discussion

Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Yechury, who was here to attend the funeral of senior party leader Koratala Satyanarayana, said proposals like the Maoists' decommissioning arms in the presence of the United Nations, forming two separate forces under a single command and creating a Maoist army on the lines of paramilitary forces were being discussed.

"Several proposals have come up during the discussions and they are working out as to how go about them," he said, adding that U.N. intervention would give immediate international recognition to the peace process, thus avoiding scope for sanctions from any quarters. On the constituent assembly, discussions were on about the process to be adopted for the delimitation of the constituencies, which should ensure representation, based on caste and regional basis.

Reiterating that the CPI (M) was only acting as a facilitator for the talks, he said the two sides in Nepal favoured a consultation process in the light of efforts to sabotage the peace process.

In this context, he cited the statement by U.S. Ambassador to Nepal James F. Moriarty claiming that the U.S. would not recognise any Government in which the Maoists participated.

This was later changed and the U.S. was now saying that it would not recognise the Government if the Maoists did not give up arms.