PEACE MEET: Nepal's Home Minister Krishna Sitaula (first right) talks to Maoists spokesman Krishna Mahara (left centre), in Kathmandu on Thursday. — PHOTO: AP

KATHMANDU: The Government and Maoist negotiators held a "surprise" second round of talks here on Thursday afternoon and agreed on an early meeting between Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Maoist Chairman Prachanda, among others.

After the talks, chief negotiator of the Maoists talks team Krishna Bahadur Mahara said, "The supreme leaders will meet anytime soon." When prodded how soon, he said, "Sooner than you would imagine."

Since Mr. Koirala is leaving for Bangkok on Saturday, the meeting is likely to take place by Friday evening at the latest.

"We have sorted out most of the differences between us, now the meeting of the supreme leaders will address the rest of them," He said. He also said the talks would focus on constituent assembly elections and management of weapons.

Ceasefire monitoring team

Talking to journalists after the meeting, government chief negotiator and Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula urged the media and the international community not to doubt the trust between the rebels and the Government. "Our trust level is high enough to succeed the talks."

The second round of talks, which the media came to know only after they started at a Hotel in Lalitpur at 2 pm, also formed a 31-member ceasefire monitoring committee led by veteran civil society leader and Finance Minister in 1990 interim government, Dr. Devendra Raj Pandey.

The talks lasted only for about two hours since most of the issues were agreed upon beforehand.

The modus operandi of the talks team so far has been to negotiate behind the scene and come to the formal table only when they have something to announce to the press.

A 4-point joint communiqué issued after the talks said the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Kathmandu would be requested to provide necessary assistance to the committee in monitoring the violations of the ceasefire code of conduct. The Government and the rebels signed a 25-point code of conduct during their first round on May 26.

The talks also formed a five-member team to observe the peace talks. The members include the former Supreme Court judge, Laxman Prasad Aryal, Dr. Devendra Raj Pandey, former lawyer Padma Ratna Tuladhar, the former Speaker, Daman Nath Dhungana, and the former Minister and human rights activist, Mathura Prasad Shrestha.

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