In a press release, former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has affirmed that he would not pull back from carrying out negotiations with the underground Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). The statement comes amidst an atmosphere of uncertainty on whether Deuba should retain his place in the commission to initiate talks with Maoists.

The release says: "I want to once again remind everyone that I am still attempting to negotiate with Maoist leadership. Under present circumstances, this conflict does not remain of political interest alone. This problem has affected all Nepalis regardless of their political ideologies. Therefore, it has become very important to end this existing uncertainty. We are all children of Nepal and killings do not help us achieve our goals. Nation building is the challenge of the day. But without peace, there is no hope of development. Therefore, violence and killings should at once be put to a halt. Despite all my efforts to move forward, there still exists an environment of distrust. An environment for mutual understanding is necessary to initiate a fruitful dialogue. I would like to assure fellow Nepalis that I am trying my best to begin a dialogue with the Maoist leadership. I want to move ahead with the talks in an environment of trust. I won't leave any stone unturned in initiating talks and identifying a proper solution to put an end to all existing problems. There are numerous hurdles to cross to reach this state and it will indeed take time. Therefore, I look forward to help and assistance from all the sectors in understanding the seriousness of the present-day situation."