Shirish B Pradhan
KATHMANDU: Political parties in Nepal have hailed the agreement between the government and Maoists on ceasefire monitoring as the "real beginning" of the peace process and said it will help create a positive atmosphere for holding constituent assembly elections.
Nepali Congress General Secretary Ramchandra Poudyal said the agreement has "paved the way to move ahead the peace process leaving aside minor differences."
He asked the Maoists to join the politics of competition abandoning the politics of weapons and violence as per the various agreements reached between the political parties and the Maoists.
The Maoist talks team member Dev Gurung described the common letter sent to the UN as an historic achievement and said it has resolved minor differences between the political parties and rebels.
He demanded immediate dissolution of the House of Representatives and forming an interim legislature and interim government inclusive of the rebels that would pave way for holding the constituent assembly polls.
The government and the Maoists yesterday reached an understanding to confine both the armies in the barracks under UN observation, monitoring the ceasefire, inviting UN supervision during constituent assembly election and ensuring, monitoring of human rights situation by UN body.
Welcoming the agreement as a positive step, Rajendra Mahato, General Secretary of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (A) said "it will help create conducive atmosphere for holding constituent assembly in a free, fair and peaceful manner".
"This is the real beginning of the peace process," he said adding "now it is high time to honestly implement the code of conduct by both sides."
Meanwhile, The Kathmandu Post said in an editorial that "the latest agreement between the government and the Maoists should be welcome as an important confidence building measure".
"The hard-won peace process should not be allowed to derail," the daily cautioned.
