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A Nepali probe panel asked King Gyanendra on Thursday what he knows about the killing of democracy activists in April as the government and Maoist rebels said they would meet this weekend to finalise a peace deal.
The act of sending a written questionnaire to Gyanendra, especially on such a sensitive issue, is unprecedented in a nation where the monarch has traditionally been considered a god.
Some 300 people have already been questioned by the panel, including ministers in the royalist cabinet headed by Gyanendra, who was forced to bow to weeks of often violent demonstrations and end his absolute rule.
"We have asked the king about his role in the suppression of the (democracy) movement as he was the chief of the then council of ministers," said Harihar Birahi, a member of the panel appointed by the multi-party government as part of moves against those responsible for excesses by security forces.
At least 22 people were killed and 5,000 wounded in shootings and beatings of protesters who crippled the nation for three weeks before the king handed power back to political parties. "This is also an opportunity for the king to explain to the people about his role," Birahi told Reuters.
It was not immediately clear what the panel could do if the king did not respond.
At the same time, the government and the Maoist rebels - whose support for the pro-democracy protests helped in ending Gyanendra's rule - may put the final touches on a peace deal over the weekend.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Maoist chief Prachanda had been expected to sew up the deal on Thursday. "We need more time to finalise an agreement on all political issues in a package," government negotiator Krishna Prasad Situala told reporters.
The Maoists also said they did not want to hurry a deal. "Instead of rushing a decision hastily we thought we should take enough time," rebel spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara said. The peace process that began in May was stalled for months due to differences over disarming the rebel army and the future of the monarchy in the Himalayan nation.
Although the two sides were unable to settle the thorny dispute over whether the 35,000 guerrillas would lay down their arms before joining an interim administration, they have remained upbeat about resolving the issue. But political analysts are sceptical. "No settlement is likely to emerge on the contentious issues like the future of monarchy and arms management that require more intensive and detailed homework," political analyst C.K. Lal said.
Both sides have been observing a cease-fire for more than five months and agreed to confine their armies to camps or barracks under UN supervision during the constituent assembly elections they have agreed to hold by June 2007. But some members of the ruling coalition say the rebels must disarm before joining the interim cabinet that will supervise the planned vote for the assembly which will draft a new constitution.
For their part, the rebels want the monarchy to be abolished or suspended before they join any interim government. More than 13,000 people have died since the Maoists began an armed campaign in 1996 to turn Nepal into a communist state.

Copyright Reuters, 2006

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