Swiss hold out hope for Nepalese peace process

Maoist supporters in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu on Tuesday Keystone

Nepal's one-time rebel army has quit the eight-party coalition government, escalating a political crisis that threatens the Himalayan nation's fragile peace process.

But while Günther Bächler, a Swiss adviser for peace building in Nepal, described the Maoists’ withdrawal on Tuesday as a crisis, he believed it was not “irresolvable”.

“Dialogue has not yet been completely abandoned. I do not yet consider this the collapse of the peace process,” he said.

Bächler has worked in Nepal as a peace adviser since May 2005 under the mandate of the Swiss foreign ministry. He said he had spoken on Monday and Tuesday to all parties involved, including the prime minister, Girija Prasad Koirala, and the Maoist party leader, Prachanda.

Bächler said the Maoists’ demands were certainly “worthy of negotiation”, adding that previously agreed demands such as improving the situation for former rebels had failed to be implemented by the government – “so everyone was responsible, not only the Maoists”.

The former rebels had been threatening to walk out of the coalition by Tuesday if the prime minister did not meet their demands, principally the abolition of the monarchy.

They were also demanding a commission to investigate disappearances of their supporters during their decade-long conflict, as well as pay salaries to former Maoist fighters and their integration into the national army.

Other coalition partners disagreed, saying it should be left for a special assembly – to be elected in November – to decide on Nepal’s future political system while it rewrites the constitution.

The former rebels accuse King Gyanendra’s supporters of trying to disrupt the elections, and have been saying for months that a vote without ending the monarchy could not be free and fair. The king is still revered as a god in parts of Nepal, particularly in rural areas, though he wields no real political power.

Peaceful protests

But while the Maoists warned of widespread protests, they also gave the interim government some breathing space, saying a nationwide strike would not be launched until early October.

The Maoists, who spent years fighting for control of the impoverished kingdom only to join the political mainstream after the king was forced to give up nearly all his power last year, said they had no plans to renew their armed revolt. But a top former rebel warned of violence if the government tried to stop the protests.

Leaders from the other parties said on Tuesday they would work to bring the Maoists back into the government.

“They have only separated themselves from the government, but they are still part of the peace process,” said Arjun Narsingh of Koirala’s Nepali Congress party. “We will continue to hold talks with them and try to address their demands.”

Under pressure

Analysts remained unsure what the Maoists hoped to gain with their decision to quit the government.

But within the movement there has been conflict over the political role the former militants should play, said Lokraj Baral, a Kathmandu-based independent political analyst.

“The Maoist leaders are under pressure from their activists because they have not been able to come up with an agenda that is distinct from the other parties and show they are not just following the other partners in the coalition.”

The rebels linked up with the political parties last year, joining pro-democracy street protests that forced King Gyanendra to give up direct rule.

The Maoists later declared a cease-fire, signed a peace agreement and confined their combatants and weapons to United Nations-monitored camps. They joined Nepal’s parliament in January and the government in April.

swissinfo with agencies

In brief

Nepal is a priority country for the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Last year it spent SFr18 million ($14.8 million) on projects in the Himalayan kingdom.

The agency works mainly in rural areas. The SDC is active in rural infrastructure development and is involved in activities linked to the conflict such as human rights initiatives.

Key facts

Population of Nepal: 26.3 million.
The Maoist rebels were fighting to abolish the monarchy for ten years. The insurgency left more than 13,000 people dead.
In November 2006 the seven-party-alliance and the Maoist rebels signed a peace accord.
The peace process has been hampered by several uprisings in the south of the country, where the Madhesi ethnic group representing about 40% of the population is fighting for greater rights under the country’s new constitution.