Kathmandu, May 12:

Home Minister Krishna Sitaula today called a meeting of the seven-party alliance at the Peace Secretariat to discuss the formation of a peace committee and process of the government-Maoist peace talks. The alliance has agreed to restructure the Peace Secretariat to facilitate the talks.

Following the meeting, Sitaula said the government held discussion with representatives of the seven-party alliance on the government-Maoist peace talks.

“The alliance representatives have suggested that the government initiate talks with the Maoists at the earliest after doing necessary homework,” Sitaula told reporters, adding: “Government-Maoists talks will start almost immediately.”

The Peace Secretariat was established by the then coalition government led by Sher Bahadur Deuba in 2004 with a view to initiating dialogue with the Maoists. But the then government could not bring the Maoists to the talks table as the latter refused.

CPN-UML standing committee member Jhalanath Khanal said the talks with the Maoists would be held based on the 12-point understanding reached between the alliance and the Maoists on November 22 last year. The Peace Secretariat would be restructured.

CP Mainali of the United Left Front said they had advised the government to start talks with the Maoists as soon as possible and the government had agreed to the idea.

“The government talks team will be announced shortly after the formation of council of ministers is complete,” Mainali said. Next rounds of meeting would make decisions on the modalities, procedures and jurisdiction of the peace committee, which would facilitate the government for talks. General secretary of the Nepali Congress Ram Chandra Poudel, Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat of the Nepali Congress (Democratic), Leelamani Pokharel of the Janamorcha Nepal, Rajendra Mahato of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandidevi), Sunil Prajapati of the Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party and Bamdev Gautam of the CPN-UML also took part in the meeting.