Nepal landmark peace deal runs into Maoist militia wall

The delay gives further credence to the doubts over Maoists’s sincerity in the peace process as their cadres are still selectively targeting those perceived to be Royal supporters and looting their property. Paddy crops of Kesharjung Rayamajhi, a former Royal adviser, and that of Komal Oli, a famous folk-singer, were lifted by the Maoists. “You can always get more than the value of this crop from King Gyanendra,” Maoists were reported to have told Oli’s father on Wednesday. A senior home ministry official said that the Maoists were also continuing with kidnapping of children.

The visiting U S Assistant Secretary for South and central Asia, Richard Boucher, said while he wished success for the peace process, the US will require proof of changed behaviour to take the Maoists off the terrorist list even after they joined the Government. The PM is ready to acknowledge the Maoist demand that the interim constitution acknowledge the justification of the Maoists movement, say sources. But the Prime Minister insisted that any Maoist leader moving around with weapons, indulging in extortion, abduction , killing and torture would be dealt with as as per provision of the law. But Maoists, a source in the negotiation team said, were demanding that as the current set of law has become infructuous, these kinds of cases should be dealt only after the interim constitution came into existence. Maoists also pleaded for a soft attitude towards violation of the code of conduct. “We have demanded that the CPA and the interim constitution should be signed together,” Dev Gurung, a central committee member of the Maoists said.