NEPAL: Nepal Maoists not ready to renounce violence, yet but are committed to peace process
Record ID:
574893
NEPAL: Nepal Maoists not ready to renounce violence, yet but are committed to peace process
- Title: NEPAL: Nepal Maoists not ready to renounce violence, yet but are committed to peace process
- Date: 25th April 2008
- Summary: (EU) KATHMANDU, NEPAL (APRIL 24, 2008) (REUTERS) HEAD OF UNITED NATIONS POLITICAL MISSION IN NEPAL IAN MARTIN, UNITED NATIONS RESIDENT COORDINATOR ROBERT PIPER AND MAOIST CHIEF, PRACHANDA WALKING DOWN TO STEPS INTO ROSE GARDEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS RESIDENT COORDINATOR ROBERT PIPER SAYING: "Good Morning, everybody, thank you for joining us. We just had an excellent dialogue with Chairman Prachanda and Dr. Bhattarai (SOUNDBITE) (Nepali) MAOIST CHIEF, PRACHANDA SAYING: "Everybody's concern was let Nepal move ahead as as fast as possible towards stable peace, and let Nepal make the momentum towards constitution making as soon as possible and move ahead towards development." MARTIN AND PIPER (SOUNDBITE) (Nepali) MAOIST CHIEF, PRACHANDA SAYING: "We do not have the provision of the seat of Presidentship in the interim constitution, there should be consensus amongst the political parties, we are interacting for that." MARTIN AND PIPER (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAOIST CHIEF, PRACHANDA SAYING: "The basis of integration has already been laid down on comprehensive peace agreement in the spirit of the interim constitution and all other agreements. And UNMIN has played a very positive role to create a conductive atmosphere to integrate the army. As far as the question of integration is concerned we have already agreed to form a special committee. I hope that when we will initiate the process of drafting the new constitution simultaneously we will lead the process of integration." UNITED NATIONS BUILDING/ JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Nepali) MAOIST CHIEF, PRACHANDA SAYING: "We have said it would be better for the King to agree with the feelings of the people, it does not mean to compromise nor elongate the process. Dear journalist friends what I want to say in clear words is that, the end of monarchy and the beginning of the Republic will initiate with the very first meeting of the Constituent Assembly and there won't be any hesitation." (SOUNDBITE) (Nepali) MAOIST CHIEF, PRACHANDA SAYING: "I am hopeful that America will reconsider on its policy after this interaction, and we want our party to work creatively for a new Nepal with the cooperative help of America as well." (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAOIST CHIEF, PRACHANDA SAYING: "We want to lead this peace process to logical conclusion and we want to create a model of peace and through this we want to renounce this reactionary violence. Thank you." PRACHANDA SHAKING HANDS WITH UN OFFICIALS. PRACHANDA'S VEHICLE LEAVING UN HOUSE
- Embargoed: 10th May 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nepal
- Country: Nepal
- Topics: International Relations,Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA3H6BYFATFGXEQPFAAC385A02W
- Story Text: Nepal's former Maoist rebels, on the verge of becoming the country's largest political party after a historic election, said on Thursday (April 24) they were committed to the peace process but would not yet renounce violence completely.
Counting of votes was expected to end on Thursday. The contest will likely cement the Maoists, who have largely shed their Marxist ideology to embrace capitalism, as the largest party and give them a chance to lead a minority government.
The election, the centrepiece of a 2006 peace pact that ended a decade-long insurgency, is for a special assembly that will write a new constitution, abolish Nepal's 240-year-old monarchy and make laws.
Nepal's history of squabble-ridden politics may hinder the formation of a new government, but analysts say one of the biggest threats to the peace process is the Maoist demand for their former fighters be integrated into the regular army.
Despite being part of the peace deal, Nepal's army has said it would not take in "politically indoctrinated" people, in comments seen as rejecting the Maoist demand.
The Maoist chief known as Prachanda told reporters after a meeting with UN officials that the process of integrating rebel combatants, now kept in United Nations-monitored camps as part of the peace treaty, will begin once the new government starts drafting the new constitution.
"As far as the question of integration is concerned we have already agreed to form a special committee," he said. "I hope that when we will initiate the process of drafting the new constitution simultaneously we will lead the process of integration," he said.
Prachanda said that they wanted to take the peace process to a "logical conclusion".
"We want to lead this peace process to logical conclusion and we want to create a model of peace and through this we want to renounce this reactionary violence," he said.
When asked if his party would formally give up violence after winning the election, he said, "right now I cannot renounce every kind of violence."
Election officials said the final tally of seats could be announced late on Thursday, but Nepali media said the vote count was complete and the Maoists were likely to bag 220 seats in the 601-member assembly, short of a simple majority.
The Kathmandu Post daily and Avenues Television station said the traditionally strong Nepali Congress could win 110 seats and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) or CPN UML 103 seats. Both are centrist parties.
A regional party from the country's southern Madhesh plains could win 52 seats, with the remainder goes to smaller parties, they said.
The election was conducted under a complex mix of direct and proportional representation systems. The Maoists have already officially won exactly half of the 240 first-past-the post constituency seats.
Another 335 seats are to be filled by proportional representation, while the new cabinet will nominate the remaining 26 members.
But with a fair indication of the results already available, the Maoists have begun consultations to cobble a coalition.
Traditional political parties are wary they will be marginalised in a Maoist-led government, analysts say.
Nepali Congress leaders were holding a meeting on Thursday to decide on joining the government. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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