Nepal rebel negotiator sets scene for new battle over King

NEPAL: The chief negotiator for Nepal's rebel Maoists said there would be no early handover of weapons and set the stage for further political clashes over the role of the monarchy.

Krishna Bahadur Mahara said the Maoists did not want to return to violence after calling a temporary ceasefire in their decade-long insurgency, amid tentative peace moves with the newly-formed interim government.

But he repeatedly refused to say what the Maoists would do if Nepal's monarch were given even a ceremonial role in a planned new constitution due to be thrashed out at an unspecified date.

"We won't be giving up arms to the government before the constituent assembly elections," said Mahara in an interview with AFP at a secret location in Kathmandu. "We will keep our arms, otherwise it will demoralise our army."

Mahara arrived Sunday for discussions over the elections but said no formal talks would begin with the government until an estimated 1,200-1,300 Maoist detainees are released.

Mahara said the Maoists would abide by the decisions of the constituent assembly but repeatedly declined to say what would happen if the king was given any future role.

"That will be decided in the future when the result comes," said Mahara. "We are totally against any role for the king, either an active king or ceremonial monarchy. We are very clear on this."

The new parliament last week slashed the powers of the king over the army and political life and removed the word "royal" from many of Nepal's institutions.

But Mahara said the move did not go far enough as the king remained sitting in his palace.

His stance sets the rebels against the party of prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, the Nepali Congress (NC).

Kathmandu, Wednesday AFP