Deadline for Nepal Maoist rebels

Deadline for Nepal Maoist rebels

By Sushil Sharma BBC correspondent, Kathmandu

The rebels have rejected previous appeals by Mr Deuba

Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has given a two month deadline to the Maoist rebels to begin peace talks.

Mr Deuba says the government is ready to discuss all issues.

He also appeared to suggest that the government may discuss a key rebel demand to elect a constituent assembly to draw up a new constitution.

An earlier round of peace talks between the Maoists and the government collapsed last year over the rebel demand for a new constitution.

Prime Minister Deuba issued the deadline after a marathon meeting of a high-level peace panel, comprising of top leaders of the governing four-party coalition.

He said the government would wait until 13 January for the rebels to return to the negotiating table.

Mr Deuba also said the government would no longer label the rebel negotiators "terrorists" and would guarantee their safety.

But he added that if the rebels ignored the deadline the government would step up a security offensive and go ahead with fresh parliamentary elections.

Appeals ignored

King Gyanendra appointed Mr Deuba prime minister last June with a twin mandate of restoring peace and holding national elections by April next year.

The prime minister has issued several appeals to the Maoists but they have been ignored.

His latest appeal follows an escalation in violence across the country.

Several dozen rebels, members of the security forces and civilians have died in recent weeks, raising the toll of those killed in the nine-year-old insurgency to more than 10,000.

The Maoists have been refusing to negotiate with the government, saying that it does not have full executive powers.

They have insisted on direct talks with the king who, they say, wields control over the administration and the army.

The rebels have also rejected the planned national elections.

Instead, they are pushing for elections to vote in a constituent assembly to draw up a new constitution which, they believe, will pave the way for Nepal becoming a communist republic.

The government wants the present constitution - which guarantees a constitutional monarchy in a multi-party democracy - to continue.
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