UN official in Nepal offers help for peace

Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Khadga Prasad Oli (R) shakes hands with Special Adviser to the Under Secretary General for Political Affairs, Tamrat Samuel (C) as UN High Commissioners Human Rights in Nepal Ian Martin (L) looks on after a meeting in Kathmandu yesterday. The week-long visit of Tamrat is a continuation of consultations the UN has maintained to encourage a peaceful resolution of the country's armed conflict and political instability, UN statement said. PHOTO: AFP

Tamrat Samuel, a special advisor to the UN undersecretary for political affairs, is in Nepal for 10 days to talk with political leaders who wrested power from the monarchy and began a ceasefire with Maoist rebels last week.

"Nepal has outlined some consensus to manage the conflict and we are looking forward to help, as decided by the government," Samuel told reporters.

KP Sharma Oli, deputy prime minister and foreign minister, however ruled out UN mediation in ending a decade-old insurgency by Maoist rebels.

"We have never asked for UN mediation and I don't think we need it at the moment," Oli said just after meeting Samuel Sunday.

Samuel, who arrived on Saturday, will "most probably not" meet King Gyanendra, who was forced to hand over power to political parties in late April after weeks of mass street protests, UN spokesman Ram Babu Shah said.

The envoy was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Saturday to hand over a letter from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, but the visit was postponed because the 84-year-old premier was ill, Shah said.

The visit comes after rebel Maoists agreed to take part in talks with the interim government on ending the bloody conflict that has seen at least 12,500 people killed.

The Maoists agreed to join the peace process after the government met their demand for a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution.