NEPAL: Nepal's Maoist rebels suspended a blockade of the capital yesterday after the country's incoming prime minister assured them elections would be held for an assembly to frame a new constitution.
The Maoists said they had lifted the blockade on Kathmandu and major towns until parliament meets for the first time in four years tomorrow, but they reiterated their key demand - a new constitution and a review of the role of the monarchy.
Life returned to normal in Kathmandu after weeks of often-bloody pro-democracy and anti-monarchy protests. But in a village in the east of the country, six people died when an unrelated demonstration about the killing of a woman by soldiers turned violent. Troops opened fire on about 100 people outside an army camp, after the protesters tried to snatch their weapons, the defence ministry said. Six were killed and 11 wounded.
The Maoists also set off a small bomb in a town north of Kathmandu and killed a policeman, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, the rebels, who control much of the countryside, offered relief to the townspeople of Nepal by withdrawing their blockade until tomorrow, following an appeal by incoming prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala. "We want to make it clear that if the first meeting of the parliament does not take a positive decision on the declaration of an unconditional constituent assembly, we will be compelled to reimpose the blockade," Maoist leader Prachanda ("The Fierce One") said.
Mr Koirala (84) is set to become Nepal's next prime minister after King Gyanendra handed over power to the country's main political parties and reinstated parliament in response to the protests.
The veteran politician, four times prime minister and leader of the biggest party, had earlier appealed to the powerful Maoists to end their blockade. "The constituent assembly is the main agenda of the new parliament," Mr Koirala said yesterday.
In Kathmandu, streets were crowded with tourists and shoppers and public transport was working.
"I am relieved there is no trouble now. It is peaceful," said Raju Shahi, who had taken his taxi out of the garage for the first time in 17 days on Tuesday.
Political parties said their first priority would be to bring the Maoists back into the mainstream, and called for a ceasefire.
"We must have a ceasefire, call the Maoists for talks and call elections for a constituent assembly," said Arjun Narsingh KC, a senior Nepali Congress leader. Analysts warned there were plenty of pitfalls ahead. The Maoist demand for an unconditional constituent assembly is generally interpreted to mean it should have the power to strip the king of his title and establish a republic. But an assembly on those terms is not something the king would be happy with. It was also not clear if the Maoists would agree to lay down their weapons before elections to the special assembly, something parliament is expected to demand.
On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of people took to the capital's streets waving party flags and celebrating the rebirth of democracy. The Maoists, however, called the king's deal with the political parties a "sham". They were unhappy the king's address made no mention of their demand for a constituent assembly. Mainstream political parties backed that demand when they entered a loose alliance with the Maoists last year and agreed on a roadmap to bring an end to the decade-long insurgency which has killed more than 13,000 people.