Source : Times Of India / Press Trust of India (PTI)
The incoming Maoists-led government plans to scrap the 58-year-old Indo-Nepal Peace and Friendship Treaty and have a fresh pact reflecting new realties besides reviewing all other bilateral agreements.
"Our past policy towards the 1950 treaty remains unchanged, we want to scrap that treaty and replace it with a new one in the changed context," Maoist chairman Prachanda said as the former rebels were poised to head a new government.
"We also want to review all other treaties signed between Nepal and India," the 54-year-old former school teacher said. During the poll campaign, the Maoists said the treaty was "unequal" which needed to be abrogated, a demand which was also made in the Himalayan nation eight years back.
Under the treaty, people living in both countries could freely travel across the border for employment and reside in either place. There is a termination clause in the treaty and Nepal can do away with the pact, which is basically meant to address India's security needs, if it is uncomfortable.
"I think a new dimension has now been added to our relations with India," Prachanda said.
"If we consider the situation right from the signing of the 12 point agreement with Seven Party Alliance in Delhi in November 2005 and now when the Constituent Assembly polls have been successfully concluded, an atmosphere has been created to forging a new unity on a new basis with India," he said.
"We believe that in this new context Nepal-India relation should be taken to a new height in a more positive and constructive way," the CPN-Maoist party chief said.
Prachanda said he has no immediate plan to visit India. "I have not yet decided about visiting India at the moment and I have also not received any such invitation," he said, "There is no truth in media reports about my visit to India."
He, however, said he has been holding talks with the Indian leaders over phone and the discussions were quite positive.
Asked about his political aspirations, he said "My ambition was not to become the Prime Minister but to become the President of Nepal.
"However, since there is no provision of a President in the interim Constitution, we need to work together by forging national consensus, we are currently having interaction with other parties and I hope that an easy solution will come out," he said.
On the contentious issue of monarchy, the CPN-Maoist chief said the King should voluntarily retire from the palace by honouring the people's verdict.
Prachanda said if the King does not leave the royal palace on his own then the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly, to be held within one month, will abolish monarchy.
"We are not in favour of making any compromise or extending term of the King," he said.
When asked whether the Maoist cadres will continue to create terror and violence even after coming to power, Prachanda said "we want to renounce all forms of violence, we are taking the peace process to a logical conclusion and we want to show a new model of peace process."
A hung assembly is in the offing in Nepal as no party has secured a clear majority in the landmark April 10 polls in which the Maoists have emerged as the single largest group.
The overall Maoists' tally of seats is expected to be 218, more than double the number of their nearest rival Nepali Congress -- as the counting of votes for 575 seats of 601-strong Constituent Assembly completed late last night. The remaining 26 members in the assembly will be nominated by the new Cabinet.
Under the proportionate or indirect voting for 335 seats, the Maoists led by Prachanda received a total of 3.14 million votes or 29.28 per cent of the 10.74 million votes cast. The Nepali Congress of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala stood second with 2.27 million or 21.14 per cent votes while CPN-UML was in third position with 2.18 million or 20.33 per cent votes.
Under the direct voting for 240 seats, the Maoists have won 120 seats while Nepali Congress and CPN-UML got 37 and 33 respectively.
As per the percentage of votes received by different parties under the indirect voting system, Maoists are expected to get another 98 seats, NC - 71 and CPN-UML - 68.
With this, the Maoists' number of seats will reach 218 and NC and CPN-UML will have 108 and 101 seats respectively. The Madhesi People's Rights Forum is likely to get a total of 51 seats, including 30 seats from direct voting.
It requires 301 seats to get a clear majority and the Maoists are unlikely to have the magic figure.
The pro-King Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Nepal) has not even won a single seat under the direct voting, but it is likely to receive three seats under the proportionate voting system as it secured one per cent votes nationwide.
Though the Maoists have claimed they would form the next government, it would not be possible for them to do so without the support of either Nepali Congress or CPN-UML.
