Saturday, March 19 2005 14:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kathmandu: Rejecting the Royal Government's offer of a dialogue, major political parties in Nepal have said that there was no question of holding talks until democratic rights were restored and emergency lifted in the Kingdom.

"Until and unless the King withdraws the February 1 Proclamation by lifting emergency and restoring fundamental democratic rights, there is no question of holding dialogue with the Royal Government," said Keshav Baral, Standing Committee Member of Nepal Communist Party-UML, the largest Communist party which has launched an anti-King agitation.

"There is no point in talking with the King's deputies at a time when the political parties are virtually banned and all the top leaders are put in jail," he said, adding that the King should first return to the status quo before the start of any dialogue.

His remarks came in response to King Gyanendra's deputy and Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers Tulasi Giri's offer of a dialogue on Thursday (Mar 17, 2005) with political parties if they were ready to cooperate with the Government in tackling insurgency, controlling corruption, economic reforms and strengthening bureaucracy.

Nepali Congress Central Committee Member and former Foreign Minister Ramsharan Mahat also said there was no question of holding talks with the King's deputies. "Much of the issues raised by Giri on Thursday, including controlling corruption and curbing maoist terror have already been taken up by us long before Giri landed here."

Nepali Congress (Democratic) leader Homnath Dahal said that the major parties may consider the offer if it comes directly from the King and not from his deputies.

Dahal said that the instances of friendly countries demanding restoration of democracy in Nepal should not be considered as an interference in the kingdom's internal affairs.

Baral also said that his party CPN-UML's Standing Committee meeting yesterday (Mar 18, 2005) formed a 47-member Central Agitation Mobilisation Committee to intensify the movement against the authoritarian rule.

The party has decided to call on all democratic forces to be united to launch struggle against the authoritarian rule of the King, he said.

He also rejected the Maoists' offer of launching a joint movement against the royal takeover. "We can't join hands with the Maoists until and unless they lay down arms and agree to hold peaceful movement."

The CPN-UML is working together with other political parties to launch another massive protest show against the royal takeover on March 21, he said.

The Government arrested 2,100 political activists and put top leaders, including Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala and CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, under house arrest after the February one royal takeover and only about 400 of them have been freed, according to the Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON).