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May 15, 2008
India Privy to
No Pact to Save Nepal King: Envoy
By Sudeshna Sarkar
Kathmandu
India's newly appointed envoy to Nepal, Rakesh Sood, Thursday
categorically denied reports of a secret pact forged two years ago
between his government, the major political parties and embattled
King Gyanendra, and said India respected the Nepali people's verdict
for a republic and was ready to work with whichever government that
came to power with the people's mandate.
Appearing at his maiden press conference in the capital, Sood was
asked if it was true that in 2006, Indian prime minister Manmohan
Singh had sent former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir - and King
Gyanendra's relative by marriage - Dr Karan Singh to broker a
clandestine agreement.
There has been a strong belief in Nepal that King Gyanendra returned
absolute power to parliament April 2006 only after India mediated
with the opposition parties and the Maoists to broker a pact that
guaranteed the continuation of monarchy in exchange.
It is believed that the pact stipulated that though he would be
stripped of all previous power and privileges, the king would
nevertheless be retained as a ceremonial monarch.
The belief gained ground after the king, in a rare interview to a
local daily, hinted at a secret understanding and said he would
speak out when the time was ripe.
Sood Thursday rejected the reports as well as fresh ones that India
was also trying to save beleaguered Nepali Prime Minister Girija
Prasad Koirala, who faces ouster as head of government once a new
one headed by the former Maoist guerrillas comes to power.
The Indian envoy said it was absolutely incorrect to say that he had
proposed to the Maoist leadership to retain Koirala as a ceremonial
president once the post of prime minister went to Maoist chief
Prachanda.
Asked if the transition from a constitutional monarchy to a republic
would be smooth after May 28, the fateful day when Nepal's newly
elected constituent assembly will formally proclaim Nepal a
republic, ending its 239-year-old monarchy, Sood said some of the
transition had already started taking place.
He pointed out that the constitution was amended some months ago,
making the prime minister the head of state instead of the king.
”I presented my credentials to the prime minister,” he said,
alluding to the earlier practice of envoys presenting their
credentials to the king at the Narayanhity royal palace.
The practice was scrapped by the new government of opposition
parties that came to power in 2006 after the fall of the royal
regime following a national uprising.
Sood added that the new government must be a national one that
should include the Maoists, the party that emerged as the largest
one after the April 10 election, and other large parties, and work
on the basis of consensus.
Its main focus should be drafting within two years a new
constitution that should maintain the territorial integrity of
Nepal, reflect the political, social and economic aspirations of the
people and provide justice and equality.
Regarding the call by the Maoists to scrap the Indo-Nepal Peace and
Friendship Treaty of 1950, Sood said that it was not a new demand.
After similar calls in 2001, India and Nepal had begun talks at the
foreign secretary level to address the issues involved in the
treaty, he said.
However, following the massacre of the royal family in 2001 which
triggered mounting political turmoil added to an ongoing Maoist
insurgency, the discussions were shelved.
When a new government comes to power, Sood said India was ready to
resume talks for a mutually acceptable agreement.
Asked if India wanted the UN to continue assisting in the management
of the Maoist arms and combatants, he said the agency had come at
the invitation of the government of Nepal and would go when Nepal
deemed it necessary.
The issue of integrating the Maoist army with the national army was
a very complex and sensitive one, he said, and could be implemented
only on the basis of basic principles agreed upon by the political
parties.
India had a lot of experience in the area and would be happy to
respond positively to any request from Nepal for help on this issue,
he said.
May 15, 2008
IANS | Top
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