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"Delhi Tour" of Nepal Politicians Unearthed

Nepaleyes Report

Kathmandu, November 22
A few days back, rumors were rife that the "Delhi tour" of Nepali Congress and UML leaders would change the political landscape of the country. But the latest developments suggest something else.

When CPN (UML) General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal returned from the tour, he claimed that Maoists had agreed to join the political mainstream and were willing to lay down weapons under United Nations' surveillance.

At the same time, Nepal said it could take a month before the country could notice change in the Maoists.

A statement issued by the parties following their meeting on Tuesday only states that the Maoists have expressed willingness to restore peace, and allow the parties to reach the rural areas under their control.

Following the meeting, Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala, broke his silence about the Delhi tour, only to say that the parties cannot forge cooperation with the Maoists until they give up arms.

This has raised many eyebrows. Going by the track record, it is very uncommon of these outspoken leaders not to boast about the "success", those keenly observing developments say.

The suspicion that leaders did not make much of a breakthrough in Delhi can also be substantiated from what Nepali Congress spokesperson Krishna Sitaula, who had accompanied Koirala on the tour, said at a public program on Monday.

"This is just an endeavor to convince the Maoists to hold dialogue. The round table meeting with them will be held in Nepal, which will be transparent in a true sense," Sitaula had said.

He could not even elaborate when the round table meeting with Maoists would be held.

Situala had also clarified that political leaders and Maoist leaders were only having telephonic conservations and not face to face meetings.

Another development that raises doubt over the achievements of the Delhi parleys is what US ambassador to Nepal, James F Moriarty told reporters at a program here on Monday.

Moriarty not only said he was not involved in the parleys but also added he was not aware that political leaders had gone to the Indian capital.

Contrary to what party leaders were trying to project, he even categorically stated that Maoists must lay down weapons before they can join the political mainstream.

This has been the US stance for many years after the insurgency erupted back in 1996.

Another thing worth considering is the blackout of the Delhi tour of Nepali top leaders while they released news carrying relatively less weight.

Such blackouts usually take place under South Block's guidelines. Indian officials, according to sources, got the impression that the consultations did not hold much water.

"The foreign diplomats are really annoyed by the way the leaders tried to make them believe that Maoists were ready for transformation - which was not the case," a reliable Nepali Congress source told Nepaleyes.

The Delhi parleys aimed at overshadowing the King's international tour starting with the 13th SAARC Summit, apparently backfired.

Not only the state and leaders of other political parties, one of the key allies, Nepal Workers' and Peasants' Party Chairman Narayan Man Bijukchhe has also flayed the leaders for trying to risk the country's independence and sovereignty.