He did not invoke Marx, Lenin or even Mao. For a change, Maoist chief Prachanda invoked Lord Buddha, the apostle of peace, as his role model for future politics of competitive parliamentary democracy as he came overground and announced the decision to join the interim government to be formed shortly.

‘‘Some 2,500 years ago, Lord Buddha led a revolution and gave a message of peace in this land. Today we are going to make another history,’’ Prachanda told journalists within the precincts of the Prime Minister’s official residence after the ten-hour summit-level talks between the Government and the rebels were over.

The crowded press conference marked the end of his underground life that has spanned almost two decades—its last half as head of the Maoist insurgency which began in February 1996.

The meeting which took place on the eve of Prime Minister G P Koirala’s departure to Bangkok for his medical check-up, in principle, brought the two sides to an agreement to involve the United Nations for management of arms of both the Nepal Army and Maoist guerrillas so that the proposed elections to the constituent assembly would be fair and free from intimidation, a statement signed by Koirala, Prachanda and other top leaders of the Seven-Party Alliance said. But nothing specific was said about the decommissioning or demobilization of the guerrillas.

A committee of legal experts led by Laxman Aryal, retired judge of the Supreme Court, has been formed to draft the ‘interim constitution’ which will form the basis for formation of an interim government with Maoist participation. The formation of the interim government would be preceded by dissolution of the revived house of parliament and the ‘people’s government’ formed by the Maoists.

... contd.