National 2 (Spotlight Weekly)

Endless Game

The third round of talks is suspended as two sides fail to reach to any understanding

By a correspondent

The much-awaited third round of peace negotiations ended in abrupt suspension after the government and the Maoists failed to come to any agreement regarding the political agenda.

On the third day of the third talks, the two sides continued to stick with their own guns. The facilitators intervened to salvage the negotiations by convincing both sides to suspend and allow for more time to consider each other's position.

The talks moved to an impasse after the government proposed constitutional amendment and/or rewriting whereas the rebels persisted with the constituent assembly.

The talks was held after a lapse of three and a half month and the formation of new government under the prime minsiterhship of Surya Bahadur Thapa, the government and the Maoists sat together for the third round of talks this week. But it is still uncertain how long the peace process will last and whether it will be successful.

Some of the recovered weapons : Nagging issue

In 2001, Maoists broke the ceasefire immediately after the completion of their third round of talks with then Sher Bahadur Deuba government and attacked military barracks at Dang, Syangja and Solukhumbu districts, which compelled the government to impose the state of emergency for nine months. In this background, people are worried whether the history would repeat this time, as well.

Future of Ceasefire

Though the two sides continue to harbor differences over their political agenda including on the issue of the election of constituent assembly, they seem to be in no mood to break the ceasefire just as yet. By threatening to walk out of the talks and constantly warning of grave consequences, the Maoists are putting psychological pressure on the government.

"I don't think the peace process will bring any result but I also don't think that the Maoists will return to war again. I have already conveyed the message to the two government representatives that the revival of the House of Representatives is only way to settle the Maoist problem," Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala told the press on Saturday evening.

Congress leader Koirala is not the first politician to predict possible outcome of third round of talks. Many other political figures, too, hold similar points of view. At a time when the country does not have any functional people's representative body, no government is in a position to accept the Maoist demand for the constituent assembly.

As the Maoist rebels have already rejected the government's road map for peace, it seems that the talks will not make any major breakthrough in peace process now. Whatever the outcome of the talks, one cannot see the possibility of resumption of conflict. Despite the threats by the Maoists to break the ceasefire, the situation is not in favor for any kind of major skirmishes. However, for many more years, one assumes that small skirmishes are likely to continue in the rural hinterlands of Nepal.

It seems that the talks will continue and that the ceasefire will be in effect. But Nepal will have to wait many more years to see a long lasting peace. Even if the Maoists sign a permanent peace deal, other groups are already waiting in the wings to continue the violence.

Third Round of Talks

The three rounds of talks held between the government and Maoist showed that the peace process is not going to conclude as easily as expected. Soon after the announcement of road map for peace, Maoist leaders trashed it arguing they will not accept anything less than the elections for the constituent assembly.

"This is a hopeless offer made by the government. If the government does not accept our demands for the Constituent Assembly, the peace process will break down," said Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, coordinator of the Maoists talks team, addressing press conference in Nepalgunj before leaving for Dang valley for further talks.

The much-awaited third round of peace talks between the government and the Maoists was held at Hotel Sneha in mid-western town of Nepalgunj on Sunday (August 17) — which was later extended to a second phase of talks in a village in Dang valley - 400 kilometer west of Kathmandu.

With much fanfare in Nepalgunj, bordering town of mid-west Nepal, the Maoist leaders received were welcomed by the government negotiators amid hundreds of representatives from local and international media.

With the worldwide media coverage and legitimacy given by the government, the Maoist leaders are able to publicize their ideology before the world. "What an irony this is. At the backyard of India, a democratic and secular state, the world see the emergence of redundant radical Maoist ideology receiving worldwide recognition and national legitimacy," said a political analyst. "The government and international media is giving legitimacy and international recognition to the radical Maoists while Nepali Congress - country's largest democratic political party — is giving legitimacy to other three communist parties."

Roadmap for Peace

At the Nepalgunj talks, the government handed over its political proposals to the rebels accepting the rebel's demand for roundtable conference and interim government but it rejected their key demand for constituent assembly. Although the government proposal was presented to the Maoists, country's five agitating political parties termed them as incomplete.

"Who will summon the round table meeting and why should we go there. Only the revived parliament can take such major political decisions," said Arjun Narshing K.C. spokesman of Nepali Congress. "This government has no right to agree on any political proposals which will have a far reaching consequence."

The proposals made in a concept paper included points like reaching to an understanding about the objectives, contents and process of political reforms; organizing a roundtable conference involving political parties to give it the shape of national consensus document; forming an interim electoral government with the participation from the Maoists; holding elections to the House of Representatives and amending the constitution in accordance with the document of national consensus.

Minister and member-secretary of the government talks team Kamal Thapa read out the government's roadmap for peace. The government proposal includes several new initiatives to empower women, Dalit and indigenous people. It proposes to transform the current election system into that of proportional representation one. Likewise, women will be given 25 percent reservation in elected representative positions. The local autonomy will be expanded and so on. Meanwhile, the Nepalgunj talks reached an agreement on the working procedure of meeting. It agreed on minuting the proceedings of the meeting and also on process of appointing rapporteurs.

Coordinator of the Maoist talks team rejected the government's political proposals charging it of skirting issues of constituent assembly and the role of King and army. "Going by the government proposal, there is a dim chance that the talks will succeed," said Dr. Bhattarai talking to reporters after the Nepalgunj meeting. "We are sitting for the talks only because there is provision in the government proposal which says that they are ready for further changes in their proposal." He warned of grave consequences if the talks fail.

But the government team has indicated that they are ready to go for more flexibility. "We are presenting our proposal to enter into a political debate. We are ready to negotiate on any other issues during the talks," said minister Kamal Thapa.

Despite the inclement weather the government negotiators did fly to Hapura of Purandhara VDC in Dang district - away from the glaring attention of media — for further talks following day.

The initial reactions by the political parties suggest they are unconvinced about the latest government proposals for political reforms. Nepali Congress (NC) spokesperson Arjun Narsingh KC termed the proposals ëambiguous' whereas president of leftist party Nepal Workers and Peasants Party termed it as being too vague. Subash Nemwang, leader of Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) said, "The government proposal is unclear. It cannot be termed as progressive. "The government was not able to touch the 18-point agenda of the political parties, how can it address Maoists' concerns?"

During the talks at Hapura village, the government forwarded a list of 233 persons abducted by the rebels and asked them to make their whereabouts public. Likewise, it also drew the rebel attention regarding the extortion reported at the middle-Marsyangdi project.

In a significant development, the governments of India, USA and Britain have welcomed the Nepalese government's concept paper on political reforms. Indian ambassador Shyam Sharan was quoted by Kantipur daily to have said that the government's concept paper on the political reforms will lessen uncertainty.

Likewise, Constance Colding Jones, counselor for public affairs at the American Embassy, said that the American government endorses the government's emphasis on three factors — sovereignty of people, constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy. She said the American government is impressed by the honesty shown by the government and hopes that it will further strengthen multi party system.

In a statement issued on Monday, British government has also welcomed the resumption of talks, with the presentation of a comprehensive position by the government and called on both the government and the Maoists to sign the human rights accord. Leading dailies report.

However, at a time when the country's major political parties have already rejected the government's proposal and Maoists, too, have declined it, the government finds itself in trouble. As long as the division between the government and major five political parties continue, the government will not be in a position to push its proposals.