CPN-Maoist positive toward fresh call for talks

REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, Aug 1: The government on Wednesday yet again sent a formal letter to the CPN-Maoist led alliance calling for talks, and the CPN-Maoist responded later in the day, describing it as a positive development.

This is the third letter sent by the government requesting the group of dissident political parties to come for talks. The dissident group has announced it will obstruct the polls to be conducted by the incumbent chief justice-led government.
"As the government firmly believes that any problem in the country can be solved through talks, dialogue and discussions, I hereby on behalf of the government invite the CPN-Maoist and other political parties concerned as mentioned in the letter," reads the invitation letter undersigned by Home Minister Madhav Prasad Ghimire, who is also coordinator of the three-member government talks team.

Ghimire has addressed the letter to Mohan Baidya, chairman of the CPN-Maoist, which heads the 33-party alliance.
In response, CPN-Maoist Spokesperson Pampha Bhusal, described the letter as a positive development. "We are positive about the government´s invitation for talks without any preconditions," said a press note issued by Bhusal, adding, "We will hold a discussion with the agitating alliance parties in this connection and take a decision soon."

The development cames a day after the Baidya-led party and alliance decided not to sit for talks with the High Level Political Committee (HLPC), which had repeatedly invited the alliance for negotiations.

A meeting of the alliance on Tuesday had turned down the HLPC´s call for talks, saying that the leaders of the four parties were not serious about addressing their concerns.

The Baidya-led alliance insisted that they would sit for dialogue only if there were no pre-conditions.  
from Republica