NEW DELHI, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Nepalese Maoists have offered to hold talks with King Gyanendra and have floated the idea of a parallel government.
"Our party is ready for holding a dialogue with the royal government if the latter announces a ceasefire with the good intention of resolving the crisis," said top Nepalese Maoist leader Prachanda.
He said political parties will also be involved in the process of dialogue. The Maoist rebels made their offer of peace talks a day head of the country's controversial municipal elections.
Prachanda said if the talks failed, a parallel government could be formed with the active participation of the seven major political parties of the Himalayan kingdom.
"If the King does not accept that, we will form a parallel government involving the parties and the Maoists," Prachanda said, adding "we are ready to form a parallel government with the involvement of political parties and try to get international reorganization by approaching the United Nations and other international community.
"You restore the Parliament, we will support you, invite us for dialogue, we will come, let us form a common national army by including all, and tell the U.N. that this is the official legitimate government," Prachanda said.
The Maoist leader refuted the charge that the rebels are conspiring to incorporate political parties into their violent movement.
"My party is for (an) unconditional Constituent Assembly, we are ready for peaceful competition with the other political parties," he said.
Prachanda said the United States was worried that if their revolution becomes successful in Nepal, it will have a direct impact on India and China.
"U.N. mediation is the best option to resolve the conflict, due to Nepal's geo-political situation between India and China, as it would be acceptable to both and (to) the United States," the Maoist leader told reporters.
