Govt told to take talks seriously

Kathmandu, September 2:

Leaders of the CPN-UML, NC and the NC (D) today called on the government to do enough groundwork ahead of another round of talks with the newly-formed Maoist talks team.

The Maoists had announced the formation of a 10-member talks team yesterday.

A standing committee member of the CPN-UML, Jhala Nath Khanal, said, “Time has come for the government to realise that the talks could not progress and make any concrete achievement because the government team was immature and lacked confidence. It should form a team to hold another round of high-level talks,” he said at the Reporters’ Club.

Through the formation of a new talks team, the Maoists may be indicating that they are committed to talks, Khanal said, urging the government to form a firm and mature talks team. Terming the drafting of a draft interim constitution a positive move, Khanal stressed the need to give the document a full shape. “The seven-party alliance and the Maoists must promise that they will do the rest of the work in time,” he said.

Asked about the possibility of foreign intervention, he said nobody in the world can spoil the talks if the Nepali leaders have commitment, vision and sincerity. Bimalendra Nidhi, a leader of the NC-D, called on top leaders to hold a meeting immediately and react to the Maoists recent comments on talks environment.

“I urge the leaders of the seven parties to hold a meeting on the matter in two or three days,” he said.

“The Maoists seem to be serious about the talks,” Nidhi said, calling on the seven-party alliance to show equal eagerness for talks.