By IANS
Kathmandu : Ahead of the first anniversary of the peace pact that enabled the Maoist guerrillas to leave their jungle hideouts and join the government, India has once more urged them to help hold the twice-stalled constituent assembly election at the earliest and honour the commitments they had made.
Shyam Saran, who served as Indian foreign secretary and Indian ambassador to Nepal before being appointed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s special representative for Nepal, Tuesday called up Maoist chairman Prachanda from New Delhi to reiterate the Indian position he had outlined last month when he visited Kathmandu.
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu confirmed the telephonic conversation reported by a Nepali weekly, Ghatana R Bichar, Wednesday.
However, Gopal Baglay, a spokesman at the embassy, denied the report that Saran had expressed support for the Maoist demand that the interim parliament declare Nepal a republic and adopt a full proportional electoral system for the election.
“The position of India on these issues remains that it will accept whatever decision the people of Nepal take,” Baglay said.
The two Maoist demands were passed by a special session of Nepal’s parliament with simple majority.
However, faced with stiff opposition by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and his Nepali Congress, the largest party in parliament, the rebels need two-thirds majority in the house to make their demands implementable.
The Maoists are bent on mustering the required votes in the current session of parliament and have begun pressuring the government, threatening they would seek a change in the leadership.
They have also challenged the government to hold the election without abolishing monarchy, saying they would oppose the exercise.
India has been urging the ruling parties and the rebels to work in tandem and to hold the election “sooner than later”.
New Delhi desires the winter session of parliament would come up with a fresh date for the election that is regarded as being the key to peace and stability in Nepal.
Saran’s call comes in the wake of Maoist leader Prachanda’s assertion that the poll was not a magic remedy that would cure all ills. According to him, Nepal needs social and financial reforms.