Nepalese Home Minister meets Maoists chairman Prachand

Kathmandu, June 11 (UNI) Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula met Maoist Chairman Prachanda in a village in Kaski district, western Nepal today local media reported here.

The meeting between the government leader Sitaula and the Maoists supremo was held within hours of the decision of the seven parties to adjourn the parliament session for some days.

Maoist Spokesman and coordinator of the Maoists talk team Krishna Bahadur Mahara accompanied Minister Sitaula during the meeting with Prachanda, Kantipur said.

''Our chairman and the Minister talked for about two hours,'' Kantipur quoted Mahara as saying.

''I had gone to apprise the chairman about the latest political developments including the talks with the present government, and it helped Minister Sitaula meet Chairman Prachanda,'' he said.

''He (Prachand) was positive about the ongoing peace process between us and the government,'' Mahara said.

''We (Maoists and the government) should materialise the agenda and ways for going to the constituent assembly elections,'' Mahara quoted Prachanda as saying.

Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai was also present at the meeting.

Parliament has endorsed the election of the constituent assembly, the main demand of the Maoists.

The peace talks between the government and the Maoists have begun to end the violence which has claimed over 13,000 lives since 1996.

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