The Hindu : International : Kathmandu offers to renew peace talks with Maoists

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Thursday, Feb 03, 2005

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Kathmandu offers to renew peace talks with Maoists

— AP

King Gyanendra (right) swears in some of the members of the Cabinet in Kathmandu on Wednesday. The members are (from left) Minister for Information and Communications Tanka Dhakal, Minister for Home and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Dan Bahadur Shahi, Minister for Local Development Khadga Bahadur GC, Minister for Labour and Transpoort Management Ram Narayan Singh, and Minister for Finance Madhukar Shumsher J.B. Rana.

KATHMANDU, FEB. 2. King Gyanendra announced a 10-member Cabinet dominated by his own supporters on Wednesday, one day after he dismissed the Sher Bahadur Deuba government, declared emergency rule and virtually cut his nation off from the world.

An official later said the new Government would reach out to the Maoist rebels to renew peace talks.

Dozens of politicians have been arrested and many more have gone underground to avoid detention, an Opposition figure said, as extra riot police and soldiers patrolled the streets of Kathmandu, where civil liberties were curtailed.

King to head Cabinet

The King will head the Cabinet, state radio said in a report that gave few details other than the new body's members.

``The King has expressed confidence that everyone will support and cooperate with the new Cabinet,'' the palace said in a statement.

The Home Minister, Dan Bahadur Shahi, said the Government would soon be approaching the Maoist rebels to renew talks.

``The King has the chief executive authority now, so it will be easier for the rebels to come for peace talks. It is what they have been wanting,'' Mr. Shahi said in comments carried on state radio. The Maoists, who control much of rural Nepal, broke off peace talks in August 2003.

The rebels balked at later invitations from the Government of the ousted Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, to renew the talks, insisting that real authority remained in the hands of the King.

The King on Tuesday sacked Mr. Deuba's interim government, accusing it of failing to hold parliamentary elections or control the Maoist struggle and pledging to do both himself within three years.

World leaders condemned the power grab — King Gyanendra's second in three years — saying it undermined democracy and the fight against the resistance.

Police began arresting politicians on Tuesday when the king declared emergency rule and continued the arrests Wednesday, said Shovakar Parajuli of the Nepali Congress party.

``We don't even know how many of our people have been arrested,'' Mr. Parajuli said.

He estimated that at least 50 of the group's top leaders were arrested, and said he was among those who went underground to avoid arrest.

Remains isolated

The tiny Himalayan nation remained largely isolated on Wednesday, with telephone and Internet lines cut. Soldiers were deployed at some private Internet service providers to make sure they remained disconnected.

The airport was open, but only limited flights were going into Katmandu.

Soldiers deployed

Soldiers were also deployed at the offices of many of the top newspapers, where Editors, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they had been warned by palace officials to be very careful about what they printed in the coming days.

On Wednesday, heavily armed soldiers were posted outside the offices of Kantipur, one of the country's most prominent newspapers, and journalists there said soldiers were making sure no politically sensitive stories went into print.

Despite the political turmoil, life appeared largely normal in Kathmandu, with most shops open and traffic still heavy enough to clog the city's maze-like streets.

The situation could grow more complicated on Thursday, when a nationwide three-day strike called by the Maoist rebels could shut down much of the country.

The strike was announced before the current political crisis began. — AP

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