Talks raise Nepal govt, rebel spirits in months

Nepal's Maoist rebels and the government, which began discussions on Sunday in an effort to end the insurgency in which thousands have died,...

Nepal’s Maoist rebels and the government, which began discussions on Sunday in an effort to end the insurgency in which thousands have died, said the first round of talks were held in a cordial atmosphere.

The first talks in 17 months were held in a hotel in the capital Kathmandu. They have raised hopes for peace after seven years of fighting to topple the constitutional monarchy and establish communist rule. The rebels said the meeting, which lasted four-and-a-half-hours, was held ‘‘in a very good and cordial atmosphere’’ and both sides had decided to meet again, although no dates were finalised yet.

‘‘We presented our agenda for a round table conference, an interim government and a constituent Assembly,’’ Krishna Bahadur Mahara, one of the rebel negotiators forming a five-member team, told reporters after the talks ended. Government negotiator and Planning Minister Narayan Singh Pun said the government would discuss the rebels’ demands later. Both Mahara and Pun said there were positive indications for the future round of talks to be successful.

The six-member government team is headed by DyPM Badri Prasad Mandal, who said last week that the talks could cover all subjects. It is not clear how long the latest discussions will last but the conflict, that began in 1996, has claimed more than 7,200 lives after peace talks failed in the past. (Reuters)