The Hindu : National : We want special ties: Prachanda

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Tuesday, Jun 26, 2007
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We want special ties: Prachanda

Kathmandu: Hoping to be the President of Nepal after the next elections, Maoist chief Prachanda has favoured special relations with India with the countries having open borders and close cultural ties.

Mr. Prachanda also insisted that elections to the Constituent Assembly in Nepal be held in November or December, failing which his party, the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, would walk out of the Government and launch a peaceful agitation.

Appreciating India for helping the peace process, the Maoist leader told Karan Thapar’s “Devil’s Advocate” programme that “there are ups and downs, twists and turns in our relations with India....(but) there is a sort of unity in interest” between the countries.

“Delhi played a very positive role in the ongoing peace process...we want special relations with India in the sense that we have open border, close cultural and traditional ties,” the Maoist leader said. His party joined mainstream politics last year after a decade-long armed struggle.

For equidistance

Mr. Prachanda, however, said that his party wanted equidistant relations with India and China.

The 53-year-old Maoist chief, whose real name is Pushpa Kamal Dahal, hoped that he would be the next President with executive powers as he expected his party to get a majority in the elections.

He, however, said that he would not become President for life, but only for a single five-year term.

Demanding immediate abolition of monarchy as the King “is already hatching a conspiracy,” Mr. Prachanda accused Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala of trying to save the monarchy.

“Koirala does not have a clear view about monarchy. He always vacillates between the question of monarchy and republic.

“When I had a conversation with Koirala five years back, I thought that he was trying to find artful ways to abolish monarchy but now I feel that he was trying to save the monarchy artfully,” he said.

“We don’t trust King Gyanendra and his feudal institution of monarchy, which should be abolished immediately,” he said.

“When he (Mr. Koirala) talks about ceremonial monarchy, giving some space to the King and sometimes he talks about the baby king, all these things prove that he was trying to save monarchy.”

Not only the Maoists, but the whole country will protest if Mr. Koirala asks Mr. Gyanendra and the Crown Prince to step down in favour of Hridayendra — Mr. Gyanendra’s grandson — Mr. Prachanda said.

“We have serious suspicion that the Prime Minister wants to retain monarchy and therefore he is playing with the situation,” he said.

Holding Mr. Koirala responsible for the postponement of the Constituent Assembly polls slated for June, Mr. Prachanda expressed doubts whether the election would be held in November-December as agreed upon by the eight-party alliance.

Asked about the possible dangers from the military as Army Chief Rukmangad Katuwal has close relations with the King, Mr. Prachanda ruled out any possibility of a coup, but admitted that some sections of the Army may be working for that. — PTI

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