By NNN-PTI,
Kathmandu : Even as Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda has sought the review of the landmark 1950 Indo-Nepal Peace and Friendship treaty, former premier G P Koirala today said that the Maoist government has no right to sign any treaty as it was only a “caretaker” administration.
Ahead of his first visit to India after becoming the Prime Minister, Prachanda said he aimed to discuss review of the 1950 trade and transit treaty as well as other past agreements, including the Kosi agreement signed in 1954.
“I firmly believe that the 1950 treaty should be replaced by a new treaty and during my parleys in New Delhi we will discuss the matters, as also the Kosi agreement,” Prachanda said in an exclusive interview to PTI.
Koirala, the president of the Nepali Congress, said the present government has no right to sign any treaty and agreements of long-lasting effect as it was only a “caretaker government”.
Inaugurating a conference of lawyers in the capital today, the veteran leader underlined that the Maoist-led government was a “caretaker” one and its main duty was to frame a new constitution for the country.
“The governments main work is to carry forward the peace process, create political stability and frame the constitution and for this the NC will help,” the octogenarian leader was quoted as saying by the Kantipur online today.
Accusing the government of focusing on political game, Koirala warned that the main Opposition party would be watchful if the government derails from its constitutional path.
Prachanda, who will be leading a 42-member delegation on his five-day ‘political’ visit to India from September 14, is expected to raise the issue of maintenance of the Kosi barrage. Recent floods in the river have caused dislocation of hundreds of thousands of people on both sides of the border and immense damage to livestock and property.