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Maoist leader says his party still wants republic in Nepal

AFP, Kathmandu
Senior Maoist leader Babu Ram Bhattarai Saturday made his first public appearance in seven years and said the rebels had not given up their demand for a republic despite a ceasefire with the government.
"The party has not given up the demand for a republic state, a constituent assembly election to redraft the constitution and an allparty round table conference," he said at a press conference in Kathmandu.
"We want the current system of government to be changed to meet the people's aspirations, help build the country's economy and end exploitation and social injustices," he said.
Bhattarai, who arrived in Kathmandu Friday, had been in hiding since February 1996 when the Maoists launched their "people's war" for a communist republic.
The Maoists and the government declared a ceasefire on January 29 and said they were willing to hold talks. Despite the signing of a code of conduct for the talks this month, no date has yet been decided.
"No definite date has been fixed for the peace dialogues," Bhattarai said.
"However, our party is prepared to hold the talks anytime if the government creates a healthy situation."
On Friday the government said
a preliminary "goodwill" meeting between the two sides could take place on Monday or Tuesday.
Asked if he would meet King Gyanendra before talks, Bhattarai said: "We have no immediate plans of meeting the king and we have not met him so far."
"But if necessary, we are prepared to meet him any time and anywhere as a centre of power of the old regime," he said.
He criticised the king for sacking the elected prime minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba in October, and appointing an interim government.
"The monarch has... grossly bypassed the democratic constitution," he said.
"We want the king to restore the people's democratic rights and honour the post-movement constitution based on multi-party democracy," Bhattarai said.
Bhattarai denied that the rebels were terrorists, saying they were a new political power.
"Even the UN, the Western and European world have already recognised us as a new political power to reckown with," he said.
Bhattarai was accompanied by four other senior Maoist leaders.
Before they arrived at the press conference venue, the road was blocked by up to 5,000 onlookers.
To disperse the crowd, police had to resort to baton charges which injured a few journalists and onlookers, witnesses said.