21/06/06
Highlights of the eight-point
agreement
Eight-point agreement signed
by the top leaders of the ruling Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and the CPN
(Maoist), after nearly seven-hour-long talks in Kathmandu, are given below:
1. To follow the 12-point
understanding between the SPA and the CPN (Maoist) and the 25-point code of
conduct signed by the Nepal government and the CPN (Maoist) with
honesty and firmness.
2. By expressing commitment
towards democratic norms and values including competitive multi-party system of
governance, civil liberties, fundamental rights, press freedom and rule of law,
launch activities in a peaceful manner.
3. To urge the United
Nations to help in the management of arms and armed personnel of both the sides
and to monitor it in order to conduct elections for the Constituent Assembly in
a free and fair manner.
4. To form an interim
constitution, constitute an interim government accordingly, to announce the date
for elections of the Constituent Assembly (CA), to dissolve the House of
Representatives on the basis of consensus and after making alternative
arrangements, and dissolve the "people's governments" formed by the CPN (Maoist)
on the basis of 12-point understanding between the SPA and the CPN (Maoist), the
spirit of the preamble of the ceasefire code of conduct and by guaranteeing the
people's rights acquired from the people's movement of 1990 and the recent
historic people's movement.
5. To take decisions on the
basis of consensus on the issues of national importance that may have
far-reaching consequences.
6. To guarantee the
fundamental right of the Nepali people to take part in the constitution making
process and in the elections for the CA in an environment free of fear,
intimidation and violence and invite international observers to monitor the CA
elections as per the need.
7. To transform the
ceasefire between the government of Nepal and the CPN (Maoist) in a permanent
peace and to resolve the problems through negotiated settlement by
forward-looking restructuring of the state so as to address the problems related
to class, ethnicity, regionalism and gender and by placing the issue of
democracy, peace, progress, forward-looking movement and independence, dignity
and sovereignty of the nation in the center.
8. The government and Maoist
negotiating teams have been directed to accomplish all the above-mentioned tasks
immediately. | 
