Prachanda advances three conditions to lead the government

Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has put forward three conditions to lead the government.

Talking to reporters after his party held discussions with all 24 parties represented in the Constituent Assembly (CA), Thursday, Prachanda said that first the alliance of Nepali Congress, CPN (UML) and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), should be broken.

"First   this so-called alliance should be broken.

Second, a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) should be forged – which should also reflect Maoists' manifesto to a large extent.

Third, there should be a guarantee that no one will engage in exercise to pull down the government for at least two years till the constitution is written," Prachanda said.

Reports say, the parties that took part in the discussion held at the CPN-M's parliamentary party office in Singha Durbar decided to reply to Maoists' conditions soon.

At the discussion, leaders of most of the parties are known to have suggested the Maoists to rethink their earlier decision to stay out of the government, and be prepared to take the leadership of a 'unity government'.

This was the first all-party meeting after the Presidential election that marked a clear polarisation in Nepalese politics.

Meanwhile, Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP) leader Hridayesh Tripathi, who left the meeting halfway, told reporters that the NC-UML-MJF combine had lost its essence after the election of the President, Vice President and the CA chair and that it should now cooperate in forming the new government.

TMLP, the former ally of MJF, had supported Maoist presidential candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh who lost the vote -- much to the chagrin of the Maoist party. nepalnews.com sd/mk Jul 24 08