Asks diplomats not to upset peace process by adverse comments, calls international community for help

Lalitpur, September 22:

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Pradip Gyawali today said the issue of arms management will be resolved by October. Addressing a solidarity conference for democracy and peace, he asked the diplomats not to “make remarks that can harm the peace process”. Several foreign delegates also participated in the conference.

He asked the diplomats to be a “part of the solution and see how things improve”. Urging all international agencies to help expedite the peace process, he asked them to let the Nepalis decide how they want to solve the crisis and secure their future. “There are things we can do and we will do them.”

A member of the Maoist talks team and Maoist leader, Dina Nath Sharma, said: “The democracy you (the seven-party leaders) are introducing will be a fake

one if you fail to consider demands and rights of the entire population”.

“We are here to ensure progressive development of events,” he said, adding: “Anybody with a regressive mentality will have to suffer in the long run.”

He accused the leaders of the seven-party alliance of discussing all topics under the sun except the issues of inclusion, restructuring of the state and the ethnic autonomy. “The solution to the crisis will be found only if the state promises to restructure the state after securing cultural and political rights of all.” An NC leader, Narahari Acharya, urged the leaders of the seven-party alliance (SPA) to “first make it clear whether they take the Maoists as a political party or a rebel group”.

“The SPA does not seem to know where it wants to go,” Pradip Giri, an NC-D leader, said, adding that most of the SPA leaders are only concerned about holding their offices and want to repeat the 1990 experience.

“Many of the party leaders are advising the Maoists to do this and not to do that. But I think that the Maoists are wise enough and do not need advice from those people who themselves are not clear on many issues,” he said.