Nepal govt close to deal with Maoists on weapons control
Afp, Kathmandu
Nepal's government said yesterday it was close to a deal with Maoist rebels on how to manage weapons held by both sides as they work toward establishing a lasting peace. "We hope to reach a deal with the rebels to settle the arms issue," said Labour Minister Ramesh Lekhak, a member of the government negotiating team. He said the two sides hoped to present a "common view" to a United Nations team due to leave Kathmandu later in the day. Lekhak's statement came after rebel leader Prachanda met Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala late Wednesday in an attempt to strike an agreement on arms management. Arms management has been a key issue since the new government agreed to a Maoist demand to hold elections to a constituent assembly that would rewrite the constitution and decide the monarchy's future. The coalition government was set up after popular protests spearheaded by political parties and the rebels forced King Gyanendra to give up absolute power in April. It has urged the rebels to surrender arms under UN supervision ahead of the elections due to be held by April 2007. The rebels, who say they are ready to join mainstream politics after waging a deadly decade-long struggle for a communist republic, have refused to disarm. But they say they are ready to place their weapons in sites under UN supervision providing there are similar controls on the army. On Thursday the seven-member UN team met Koirala to discuss the peace process that includes a plan for the rebels to join the interim government in the lead-up to the constituent assembly elections. The team includes experts on policing, human rights and staging elections. It arrived last week to see how it could help the peace process. During its visit, the UN team travelled to army and rebel camps. "We were able to hear from both sides what are their own concerns and also to see with our own eyes what is the situation regarding the potential arms management," UN team head Staffan de Mistura said in a statement. "It (the visit) helps us to have a better eye also on what are the future possible activities that the UN can have," he said. The latest peace effort is the third time the government and the rebels have tried to end the insurgency that has claimed over 12,500 lives since 1996.
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