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KATHMANDU: The high level probe commission formed to investigate the atrocities committed against the pro-democracy people's movement in Nepal has sent letters to three Ministers in the King's Cabinet to be present before the Commission by 11a.m. on Tuesday. In separate letters sent to Tulsi Giri, Vice-Chairman in the King's Council of Ministers and Badri Prasad Mandal and Nikshya Sumsher Rana, the commission has said it wants to interrogate them in connection with the Royal Government's crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations.

Though formed on May 5, this is for the first time that the commission has summoned high-ranking officials of the King's Government. A source at the commission told that more summons would follow soon. "This is just a beginning," he said.

Prachanda in capital

Maoist leader Prachanda and his second-in-command Baburam Bhattrai arrived here on Sunday and began consultations with the leaders of the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) to "address suspicions and differences" that set in after the parties and the Maoists signed a deal on June 16.

The Maoist leaders met Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and Nepal Workers and Peasants Party president Narayan Man Bijuckhhee. Following the meeting, a member of the Maoist delegation, Dinanath Sharma, told State-owned Radio Nepal that the rebel leaders had begun discussions with the party leaders to address the differences and doubts that have surfaced after signing the deal. "Questions have been raised ... about the deal and our intentions even from higher quarters in the SPA. So our top leadership felt the need to talk to the party leaders to keep the peace process moving on the right track."

Since the deal was inked in a rush and agreements were sealed only on broader principles, without divulging going into the specifics, differences have cropped up in the interpretations of the deal between the rebels and the SPA leaders.

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