Statute first, then peace process wrap-up: Maoists

KATHMANDU, March 26: In their first formal meeting since the formation of the current government, the two largest parties --UCPN (Maoist) and Nepali Congress - differed sharply on the sequencing of the peace process and constitution-writing.



At the meeting held Friday evening, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal proposed that the parties should now focus on constitution-writing and said the peace process can move forward only if there is a guarantee that constitution-writing will be completed in the next two months.



“The peace process cannot move forward as there is slim chance of promulgating the new constitution by May 28. Both the peace process and constitution-drafting can be taken forward simultaneously,” a NC leader quoted Dahal as saying. [break]



The Maoists urged fresh agreements among the parties to take the peace process and constitution-writing forward in tandem -- something the NC rejected outright.



Talking to media after the three-hour meeting, NC leader Ram Chandra Paudel said the Maoists proposed inking a fresh agreement to take the ongoing peace process to a logical end and promulgating a new constitution. “But we said that there is no need to ink fresh agreements. We have already reached several agreements right from the 12-point agreement. We did not want to enter into the agenda of forging fresh agreements as proposed by the Maoists,” he said.



Paudel said they got the impression that the Maoists want to promulgate a new constitution without concluding the peace process. “We made it clear that the peace process should be concluded before the promulgation of a new constitution as per agreements reached in the past,” he further said. “We also told them that their unwillingness to conclude the peace process is tantamount to pushing the country towards disaster.”



NC leaders present at the meeting alleged that the Maoists did not appear keen on settling the issue of management of their arms and army. “We have decided to sit for another round of talks after holding meetings within our parties,” Paudel further said. “We have asked the Maoists to take a decision on the peace process, bearing our concerns in mind.”



Maoist Vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha told media that since there were no formal talks with the NC since the formation of the Maoist-backed government the talks Friday helped to end that lack of dialogue between the two major parties in parliament. “The meeting dwelled on issues related to the peace process including army integration and constitution-drafting,” he said.



Shrestha said that they put forth their respective concerns and suspicions and discussed ways to address them. “There is a need of consensus among the parties to take the ongoing peace process to a logical end and promulgate a new constitution,” he further said.



An NC leader present at the meeting said the Maoists could have organized the meeting just to show the public that they have not ignored the NC in the aftermath of forming a left-coalition government. “There was no substantive proposal on the part of the Maoists on concluding the peace process and promulgating a new constitution,” he said.

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