Kathmandu, Oct 25: In response to caretaker Prime
Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand's call for peace talks, the
top Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal or "Prachanda" has said
his party is "open to resolving issues through talks."
"Our party is always open to resolving issues through
talks and we are ready for holding talks among all the
political forces," Prachanda said in a statement dated Oct. 24
faxed to some local newspapers in Kathmandu today.
"There are only two options available before us: either
to hold dialogue with all the political forces including king,
political parties, Maoist organisation, intellectual community
and the king or to launch decisive historical struggle," the
statement said.
If our struggle is suppressed through the help of
Nepalese army and foreign support we will be compelled to
launch a decisive struggle, he warned.
In an apparent softening of stance on the monarchy, it
said "now the ball is in the king's court".
Prachanda has also called to safeguarding the
achievements of the people's movement of 1990 which restored
multiparty democracy in the country.
The Maoist leader has held different governments in the
past 12 years responsible for dragging the country to the
present crisis.
One of the major issue to be included in the dialogue
will be drafting a new constitution by holding election to the
constituent assembly, the statement signed by Prachanda said.
The king has to make some sacrifice for moving the
country forward in a peaceful manner, he said.
Bureau Report
