Nepal’s Cabinet declared a ceasefire on Wednesday with Maoist rebels and urged them to open peace talks with the government, Deputy Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli said.
He added that all terrorism-related charges will be dropped against the insurgents, and the government will end its designation of the Maoists as a terrorist group.
The moves are in response to the unilateral truce announced by the rebels after three weeks of often-bloody protests forced King Gyanendra to yield control over the government last week.
The Maoists played a key role in the protests and appear headed for a role in the political mainstream. They have been fighting since 1996 to create a communist state. The insurgency has left 13 000 people dead.
Two previous mutual ceasefires — in 2001 and 2003 — both broke down after a few months.
“The government decided to declare a ceasefire,” Oli said. “All terrorist charges on the Maoists have been removed. We are urging the Maoists to come forward for peace talks.”
Added Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat: “We expect the Maoists to come to the talks.”
But in a worrying sign, Prachanda, the Maoists’ leader, has accused the seven-party alliance that led the protests against the king of engaging in a power struggle. He said the legislature, which convened on Friday for the first time in four years, isn’t up to the tasks at hand.
“This is not the solution to the problems and the demand of the Maoists,” he wrote in a pro-Maoist weekly newspaper. “The House has no fresh mandate and cannot solve the problems.”
Earlier in the day, United States Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said Washington isn’t ready yet to drop the Maoists from its terror list. “We can’t forget the issue of the Maoists in Nepal, what they have done in the villages, what they continue to do in the villages,” he told a news conference.
“They killed people, they extorted money. So our removing them from the terrorist list is not going to happen until they stop that behaviour.”
Mahat said the Cabinet also invalidated February’s municipal elections for mayors and city- and town-council members. No date was immediately set for new balloting.
It was the first move to rescind all of the legislation, decrees, appointments and other actions taken since the king grabbed power in February last year.
Mahat, sworn in on Tuesday with the rest of the new seven-man Cabinet, also said the government will give one million rupees (about $14 000) to each of the families that died in three weeks of protests that forced the king to yield power last week.
At least 17 protesters died when riot police tried to quell the demonstrations, opening fire with live rounds and rubber bullets.
Boucher vowed that Washington will help the Himalayan country build for the future. “Through their efforts for democracy, the people of Nepal have won a great victory for themselves and for future generations,” Boucher said after a 20-hour visit during which he met most top political leaders except for King Gyanendra.
“Now it is up to the reinstated Parliament, in close contact with the people, to lead the way forward to form an effective, responsive and lasting democratic government, and to chart a way forward to bring peace to your country.”
Still, the list of critical issues facing the new government is long and rife with treacherous waters to navigate while trying to maintain at least a semblance of unity.
The fight for Cabinet appointments already has sparked serious grumbling. In addition, about 200 protesters tried to force their way through the iron gates outside Parliament on Tuesday, demanding prompt action on a raft of key issues.
The Cabinet must try to negotiate peace with the Maoists, rejuvenate the economy and investigate who gave the orders for security forces to crack down brutally on demonstrations.
Parliament has to set up the nuts and bolts for the election of an Assembly to rewrite the Constitution. The king is expected to be stripped of much of his authority, including control of the military. — Sapa-AP
Associated Press writer Paul Alexander contributed to this report