Understanding between parties and Maoists can’t be ignored: Thapa
Former Prime Minister and president of the newly launched Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP), Surya Bahadur Thapa, has said recent understanding between the seven party opposition alliance and the CPN (Maoist) can’t and should not be ignored.
In a statement issued Friday, the veteran politician said the said understanding has given rise to a totally new political situation in the country. Though he didn’t directly refer to the government’s reaction to the understanding, Thapa said, “Nobody can now afford to pretend that nothing has happened.”
In the first official reaction to the understanding between the opposition alliance and the Maoists, government’s spokesman and Minister for Information and Communications, Tanka Dhakal, said the government was aware about any activities that aimed at restoring peace in the country. He, however, said HMG/Nepal believed that a representative system of governance could be run under the present constitution itself.
In their 12-point understanding made public on Tuesday, the seven party alliance—that is protesting the royal takeover of Feb. 1, 2005 -- and the Maoists have agreed to go for constituent assembly to draft the new constitution that would define the role and rights of monarchy in the country.
In his statement, former premier Thapa-- —who had held failed peace talks with the rebels in the past— said the main aspiration of the Nepali people was restoration of peace and democracy in the country. He, however, said constitutional means must be adopted to meet such aspirations. He expressed good wishes to the seven party alliance in their roadmap and wished that their unity would not break in future.
Thapa said it was a good indication that the CPN (Maoist)-- that was a member of Revolutionary International Movement (RIM) and chair of CCOMPOSA, a network of Maoist organizations in South Asia, seemed to be considering restoration of peace and democracy in Nepal.
He also stated ironically that the royal government was mainly responsible for the new situation leading to the understanding between the opposition parties and the Maoists. nepalnews.com by Nov 25 05
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