Three members talks team appointed

The Council of Ministers Thursday morning appointed two more members of the government talks team to hold dialogue with the Maoists.

The Thursday's meeting of the Council of Ministers appointed the negotiation team headed by Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula.Other members are Pradip Gyawali, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and Ramesh Lekhak, Minister of State for Transport and Labour Management in the negotiation team .

Talking to journalists after the meeting of the Council of Ministers, Home Minister Sitaula said that they will hold talks with the rebels at the earliest.

On the Maoist demand to release all political detainees as pre-condition for talks, Sitaula said the government had already started the process of releasing Maoist cadres. He informed that the government released 467 Maoist cadres so far.

The Maoist have also formed a three-member negotiation team headed by Maoist spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara to hold talks with the government. They have further informed that Chairman of the party, Prachanda, will come for the summit talks

Mainwhile National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday urged the government and the Maoists to sign a human rights accord and a ceasefire agreement to ensure the success of the much-awaited peace talks.

The parliament-formed national human rights watchdog handed over drafts of both documents to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala through Home Minister Krishna Sitoula Wednesday, according to NHRC member Sudip Pathak.