Maoists of Nepal extend cease-fire by one month
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, Dec 2, IRNA
Nepal-Maoists-Cease-Fire
Amid increasing national international pressure, Nepal's Maoist rebels have extended the unilateral cease-fire, which expires Friday, by one month.
"After considering the plea from those in favour of peace and stable political situation in the country, we decided to extend the cease-fire by one month", Maoist leader Prachanda said in a statement in Kathmandu.
"Our party believes that this decision will help boost the movement against the autocratic regime and speed up the process for peace", he said.
There has been no response yet from the royal Government. King Gyanendra was to return to Kathmandu Friday from his three week tour to Bangladesh and Africa, his first foreign tour since sacking the government and assuming absolute power on Feb 1, 2005.
Since declaring a three-month unilateral cease-fire on Sept 3, 2005, the rebels have also reached an agreement with the seven-party alliance to push the king to restore democracy in the country.
The incidents of Maoists violence and killing have significantly gone down during the past three month period.
The seven-party political alliance in Nepal had urged the rebels to extend ceasefire to establish durable peace.
The European Union and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights have also urged the Maoists to extend cease-fire and the Royal government to reciprocate it.
The extension of the cease-fire comes a day after the world body warned that armed conflict resume in Nepal if the government did not join the rebel truce.
Meanwhile, the Nepal Communist Party (UML), a member of the seven-party alliance, is organizing a massive public rally in the Nepalese capital in a bid to mobilize public opinion in favor of ending absolute monarchy and holding constituent assembly election.
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