Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, January 1:

General secretary of the CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal today said the Maoists’ “narrow-mindedness” was holding them back from coming for peace talks with the government.

Addressing a gathering of senior cadres at his party office at Balkhu, Nepal said the rebel leaders were hesitating to resume the peace process with the government as they feared that the UML “would gain political mileage” from the process.

On November 25, while announcing the January 13 deadline for talks PM Sher Bahadur Deuba had warned the government would go for polls if the Maoists refused to return to talks.

Nepal’s swipe at the how and why of Maoists’ reluctance for talks comes two weeks ahead of the deadline. The Maoists have been insisting they will not come to for talks without the UN getting involved in the talks process.

Nepal also threatened that his party would expose those elements who were opposed to peace talks with the Maoists. He, however, did not name those “elements”. In an oblique reference to the latest tiff between PM Deuba and his deputy Bharat Mohan Adhikari over the appointment of the Nepal Rastra Bank’s governor, Nepal said it would be difficult for his party to remain in the government if the coalition partners “breached” the understandings reached among them.

Nepal also preened that the Raj Parishad’s “political activism” took a backseat after his party, ministers and sister organisations objected to it.