| bardan |
Posted
on 14-Aug-03 06:18 AM
Daily claims Nepal Govt and Maoists have a secret pact
Indo-Asian News Service
Kathmandu, August 13
Even as the Nepalese government announced the date for a third round of peace talks with Maoist guerrillas, a local daily reported there was a secret understanding between the rebels and the king.
On Tuesday night, Nepal's Communications and Information Minister Kamal Thapa said the third round of parleys would take place on Sunday in Nepalgunj, the headquarters of the far western development region. This is going to be the Surya Bahadur Thapa government's first round of talks with the insurgents.
While minister Thapa said the government would table its hitherto undisclosed political agenda at the peace parley, the Rajdhani daily reported that the Maoists had already reached a secret understanding with King Gyanendra.
The king has reportedly assented to a constituent assembly if the Maoists give up their demand for a republic and agree to constitutional monarchy.
The Maoists have been demanding a constituent assembly to frame a new constitution. Nepal's present constitution doesn't have provisions for a referendum.
Earlier, too, there had been talk of a secret understanding between the Maoists and the palace. After the second round of talks, it was felt by some that the government had agreed to confine the army to within five kilometres of their barracks, as demanded by the Maoists, upon receiving the king's approval. But it subsequently backtracked after strong opposition from the security forces.
The most sensational reports of an alliance between the two sides occurred after the ceasefire on January 29 when some local dailies wrote about rebel leaders being flown into the palace clandestinely to broker a truce with the king.
Nepal's opposition parties have always suspected an alliance between the two forces. They fear it would lead to their marginalisation. However, the Maoists have always denied any secret understanding with the king.
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