Nepal begins peace process

Nepal’s new prime minister conferred with top political leaders today to decide on a cabinet that will have the key task of negotiating peace with the country’s communist rebels, party officials said.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala met at his house with leaders of the seven main political parties who spearheaded weeks of protests that forced the king last week to relinquish direct control over the government and hand power back to Nepal’s politicians.

The newly reinstated Parliament yesterday called unanimously for an assembly to rewrite the constitution, and for a cease-fire with Maoist insurgents, who also played a major part in the anti-monarchy protests and who appeared headed for a role in the political mainstream.

A new constitution has been the Maoists’ key demand. The new government under Koirala, who was sworn in earlier yesterday, now must spell out the dates and other details of the constitutional assembly.

Later today, Koirala was to name ministers, expected to include representatives from all seven of the main parties.

The ailing 84-year-old Koirala yesterday briefly addressed parliament – which opened its first session in four years on Friday – calling on the communist insurgents to come out of the political cold, as he began the challenge of keeping his alliance together and steering the troubled Himalayan country toward peace and democracy.

“I urge the Maoists today to give up violence and come forward for peace talks,” said Koirala, who was greeted by legislators with a standing ovation.

He spoke for only a few minutes and remained seated during his speech, a break from tradition as he began his fifth stint as prime minister.

A few hours earlier, Gyanendra swore in Koirala at the royal palace in central Kathmandu, the first time the two had come face-to-face since weeks of bloody protests – led in part by Koirala – forced the monarch to give up complete control and hand back power to the country’s politicians.

Koirala, who has a lung ailment, was accompanied to the palace by his doctor.

A one-time labour organiser who is among the country’s most senior politicians, Koirala was chosen prime minister because he was the most acceptable candidate among the seven-party alliance, political leaders have said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions.

Other legislators backed Koirala’s call to reach out to the Maoists.

“It is time that everyone should give up violence and all forms of terror,” Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal, said in Parliament yesterday.

Three weeks of demonstrations, which included clashes with security forces that left 16 protesters dead, ended early last week when Gyanendra announced he would reinstate Parliament.