Nepal's ruling parties have missed a Sunday deadline to form an interim parliament with Maoist rebels, the latest in a series of delays that have prompted a Maoist leader to question the government's commitment to a landmark peace accord.
Days after signing a peace accord with the communist rebels to end a decade-old insurgency that claimed more than 13,000 lives, there was no sign of the interim parliament mandated in the accord, officials said.
Days after signing a peace accord with the communist rebels to end a decade-old insurgency that claimed more than 13,000 lives, there was no sign of the interim parliament mandated in the accord, officials said.
Maoist leader Prachanda, who goes by one name, was planning to meet with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to express the rebels' concerns, said Dev Gurung, a member of the communist rebels' peace talks team.
"These delays are causing the people to lose faith in us," Gurung said. "It appears the government is not serious about following the agreement."
The government denied the accusations, saying officials had been busy with other issues related to the peace process.
Tourism Minister Pradeep Gyawali, a government negotiator, said they have been occupied by talks with the Maoists and the United Nations on setting up and operating camps where the Maoist fighters would be confined and their weapons locked.
"The interim parliament may have been delayed by maybe a week, but we are all involved in the peace process," Gyawali said.
Under the peace deal, the Maoists are to get 73 of the 330 seats in the interim parliament. Koirala's Nepali Congress party will remain the largest bloc, with 85 seats, while the Maoists' number of seats will equal that held by the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist). The rest of the seats will be shared among other, smaller parties.
After joining the interim parliament, the rebels are scheduled by Dec. 1 to be part of an interim government that will conduct crucial elections next year.
"These delays are causing the people to lose faith in us," Gurung said. "It appears the government is not serious about following the agreement."
The government denied the accusations, saying officials had been busy with other issues related to the peace process.
Tourism Minister Pradeep Gyawali, a government negotiator, said they have been occupied by talks with the Maoists and the United Nations on setting up and operating camps where the Maoist fighters would be confined and their weapons locked.
"The interim parliament may have been delayed by maybe a week, but we are all involved in the peace process," Gyawali said.
Under the peace deal, the Maoists are to get 73 of the 330 seats in the interim parliament. Koirala's Nepali Congress party will remain the largest bloc, with 85 seats, while the Maoists' number of seats will equal that held by the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist). The rest of the seats will be shared among other, smaller parties.
After joining the interim parliament, the rebels are scheduled by Dec. 1 to be part of an interim government that will conduct crucial elections next year.
No comments:
Post a Comment