Kathmandu, Aug 22: Nepal government today expressed its flexibility and commitment in continuing talks with the Maoists but said it can't accept the rebels' demand for elections to a constituent assembly to draft a new Constitution. "All the major demands of the rebels could be accommodated by either re-writing the present Constitution or amending it," convenor of the government's talks team and finance minister Prakash Chandra Lohani said.

However, the government can't accept the demand for holding a constituent assembly election. Addressing a programme organized by the Human Rights Organization of Nepal (HURON) here, Lohani said the third round of talks ended in deadlock as the rebels stuck to their demand of holding constituent assembly election to draft a new Constitution.

Maintaining that sovereignty vested in people, constitutional monarchy, multiparty democracy and commitment towards national unity and integrity are the goverment's four bottom lines, he said except these we are ready to make any change in the present Constitution. However, the Maoists did not present their clear idea regarding the government's bottom lines, which caused postponement of the talks, the finance minister said.
Cautioning that failure to resolve the problem would invite foreign interference, he said after the 1990 people's movement the monarch has agreed to remain within the framework of the Constitution instead of playing the role of an active monarch.

Bureau Report