• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Nepalese parties, Maoists agree to establish "full democracy"

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Nov 23, IRNA
Nepal-Maoists-Agreement
In what is seen as a major political development in Nepal, the underground Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) Tuesday announced that it had entered into an agreement with seven agitating Nepalese political parties to "abolish the autocratic monarchy," and offered to accept "full democracy" as demanded by the parties.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, CPN (Maoist) Chairman Prachanda said that it will keep its armed forces under the supervision of the United Nations or any other reliable international institution "during an election to the Constituent Assembly." Prachanda's party and the seven opposition parties, following negotiations, arrived at a 12-point "understanding" in which his party welcomed international mediation in the process of peacefully resolving the crisis.

In the agreement, the rebel party also pledged to accept the mandate of an election that is to choose members of a new Constituent Assembly, stressing the need to make the election process free and fair.

The Maoist supremo said that the parties have expressed their commitment to formal talks with his party on the issue of Constituent Assembly election after forming an all-party government following the restoration of the parliament.

Both sides also agreed to oppose the municipal elections scheduled by the royal government in February next year. They also expressed commitment to human rights and press freedom.

Meanwhile, following their meeting and press conference Tuesday evening, the seven political parties in Kathmandu also disclosed a 12-point understanding reached with the Maoists.

The top leaders of the seven-party alliance met Tuesday morning to discuss further strategies of the alliance. The two-hour long meeting held at the residence of Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala discussed the ongoing talks with the Maoists, the UML meeting with the Maoists in Rolpa and future strategy to be adopted to encourage further agitation and secure the alliance's demands.

Immediately after the meeting, CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, NC leader Krishna Sitaula and acting president of the NC-D Gopal Man Shrestha met detained former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to brief him about the outcome of the morning's discussion.

The meeting held Tuesday evening of the task force of the seven-party alliance was to decide the future strategy of the alliance.

The meeting of the task force is expected to make some decisions regarding probable alliance with the Maoists.

On Monday, the UML general secretary met former premier Deuba and briefed him about the recent negotiations with the Maoist top brass in New Delhi, India.

The Maoist insurgency in Nepal, which began in February 1996, has claimd more than 13,000 lives.

2160,1/2321/1414