Kathmandu, Aug 17: Maoist rebels today rejected government's proposals for sweeping constitutional reforms as they began the much-awaited third round of negotiations to bring to an end seven years of insurgency in the Himalayan kingdom. "We are disappointed by the government's political proposal as we want a complete change, not just reforms," chief Maoist negotiator Baburam Bhattarai said after the talks in Nepalgunj, 450 kms from here.
"The government's proposal does not resolve the current political crisis," he added.
In its political concept paper presented at the first session of talks, the government had said it was ready to form a multi-party interim regime which would include the Maoists, but rejected the rebels' demand for elections to a constituent assembly to draft a new Constitution.
Information and Communication Minister Kamal Thapa, part of the two-member government negotiating team, said multiparty democracy, constitutional monarchy and sovereignty vested in the people would be the "bottom line" of its proposed reforms.
The political agenda of the government released to the media suggested that it was ready to hold a round-table conference with opposition parties for a national consensus on the composition of the proposed interim government.
Bureau Report