Kathmandu, April 27: Nepal’s Maoists have offered to enter peaceful democratic politics by holding talks with Nepal’s new interim government to be sworn in tomorrow.

Maoist ideologue Dr Baburam Bhattarai laid out three pre-conditions for the talks in a telephone interview to a TV channel:

Announcement of an “unconditional Constituent Assembly”, Freeing all Maoist political prisoners in Nepal and India, and Removing the “terrorist” tag from the Maoists and withdrawing red corner notices against them.

The Maoist leader said this would help create propitious atmosphere for talks. Bhattarai’s offer of talks comes after two important developments: Lifting the blockade choking Kathmandu to allow the reinstated Parliament to meet and decide on a Constituent Assembly and the announcement of a unilateral ceasefire for three months. Bhattarai said that the aim of the people’s movement was to end “monarchy” and establish an institutionalised “democratic peoples republic”. The “betrayal” that the Maoists talked of was to point out that the aims of the peoples’ movement had not been fulfilled, Bhattarai said.

The Maoist leader claimed that the peoples’ movement never raised a slogan for reinstating of parliament. The demand was for a Constituent Assembly and for a republic. It was important, he said to honour the aim of the “rebellion of the mahaan Nepali janata” (the great Nepali people).

Therefore, he said, the movement needed to be taken forward in a different form now to establish a democratic people’s republic.The agitation was not only of the seven-party alliance, Bhattarai said. He claimed that it was the result of the 12-point understanding between the parties and the Maoists.