Kathmandu: Nepal's new Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Sunday invited Maoist rebels to talks to help bring peace to the troubled Himalayan nation, days after King Gyanendra returned power to political parties.
Koirala’s comments in Parliament came as he initiated a debate over holding elections for a special assembly to draw up a new constitution that would decide the future of the monarchy.
"I urge the Maoists, who have announced a three-month ceasefire to stop violence now and come for talks immediately," said Koirala, who was sworn in as prime minister earlier in the day.
In a brief speech in Parliament, an ailing Koirala, who was given a standing ovation by lawmakers, said "I urge the Maoists to give up violence and come forward for peace talks."
Meanwhile, the Royal Nepalese Army attacked a peaceful Maoists mass meeting in Nawalparasi district on Saturday, media reports said.
"An RNA chopper rained bullets on the mass meet organised in the jungle adjoining a human settlement," Kantipur said in its online edition.
It said around 10,000 civilians were gathered for the programme which also saw the presence of armed Maoists. A Maoist cadre sustained shrapnel injury on his nose.
Three houses of the local people were also damaged in the attack, the media reports said.
This came at a time when the Maoists have declared a three-month-long unilateral ceasefire after the reinstatement of the House last week.
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