Maoists prepare for first taste of power

NEPAL: Rebel Maoists in Nepal touted a new vision for the impoverished nation Thursday as they readied for their first taste of power, amid international warnings that peace must not be allowed to slip.

The rebels said their decade-long armed struggle was over after securing a historic deal with Nepal's ruling parties that will see the movement join an interim government and take seats in parliament.

"We'll be organizing celebration rallies all over the country," the Maoist leader Prachanda told reporters.

The rebels agreed to lock up their weapons under UN supervision, dismantle the governing structures they have set up in the large swathes of Nepal they already control, and join a multi-party government by December 1. But jubilation at the deal, ending a rebellion that has claimed more than 12,500 lives, was tempered by caution that much work remains to be done.

UN chief Kofi Annan hailed the agreement as "a historic opportunity to end the armed conflict in their country, and to build sustainable peace within an inclusive and democratic state."

At the same time, he called on both sides to "maintain the momentum of the peace process by fully carrying out the commitments they have made."The United States and Britain echoed the call to comply.

US State Department spokeswoman Nancy Beck said success of the accord would depend on its implementation, and did not say if the Maoists would be removed from the US list of "terrorist" organizations.

"We will monitor all developments and continue to communicate closely with the government of Nepal and our international partners," she said.

British junior foreign minister Kim Howells warned that unless both sides upheld the rule of law, "any peace agreement will be inherently fragile."

Prachanda told a news conference late Wednesday that the rebels had a "new vision" for Nepal and would use politics, rather than violence, to "meet the aspirations of the people longing for peace."

"Our experiences have shown we could not achieve our goals through armed revolution, so we have chosen the path of negotiation and formed an alliance with the political parties," he said. Prime Minister Girija Koirala called the deal a "victory for all Nepalis" and a "foundation stone for the establishment of a new revolutionary Nepal."

But he, too, cautioned that, "We have to be cautious at the moment as some reactionary forces are trying their best to foil peace negotiations." He did not specify whom he meant, but the term has previously been used to refer to King Gyanendra, who was forced to renounce absolute power following massive street protests in April.

Under the agreement, the fate of the monarchy is to be decided in the first meeting after elections to a new body that will rewrite the constitution. However, Prachanda gave an indication of the scale of the wrangling ahead when he warned the Maoists would "accept the people's verdict but we will not accept monarchy."

"If a ceremonial role for the monarchy is chosen, we will go to the people again and say to them they have made a mistake. There is no room for any form on monarchy in Nepal," he said.

Kathmandu, Thursday, AFP