Baidya-led Maoists reject talks offer

A meeting of 33-party alliance. (Photo: Dipesh Shrestha)

 KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, April 1: A meeting of the 33-party alliance led by CPN-Maoist on Sunday rejected the government´s offer for talks.
At a meeting held at the CPN-Maoist head office in Buddhanagar, the alliance decided that they would instead sit in talks with the president, saying the Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi-led government does not have the authority to hold talks with them.

“The president himself should take initiatives for talks to correct his unconstitutional and undemocratic March 14 move. We cannot sit for talks with the unconstitutional government and the syndicate of UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front,” said CPN-Maoist secretary Dev Gurung. He also made it clear that the alliance has rejected the government´s offer for talks.

The government had formally decided to hold talks with the dissident political parties on Friday. The government had also formed a talks team led by home minister Madhav Ghimire to hold talks with the dissident parties.

According leaders participating in the meeting, the alliance has termed the Regmi-led government unconstitutional.

“The president now has the last chance to correct his unconstitutional move. So, we decided that we can talk with the president," said Mani Thapa, chief of the Revolutionary Communist party of Nepal, a member of the 33-party alliance.

The meeting also decided to submit a memorandum to the election commission on Monday to stop the election process.

Issuing a joint press statement, the alliance also expressed serious concerns over the recent statements that the government would take action against the agitating parties.

“We concluded that the government is not serious about holding talks with the agitating parties and is trying to disturb the environment for talks. The government is moving ahead in an autocratic way,” reads the statement. The meeting also concluded that the government is planning to suppress protests through intimidation.

“The government is trying to spread terror among the people by registering cases against the protestors,” added Gurung.

The alliance also said that the election commission´s activities would mean nothing unless the 14 March agreement between the four parties is scrapped. The alliance also demanded release of its arrested cadres saying the government should create an environment for consensus among the political parties.

According to Thapa, 16 party cadres have been arrested.