Tuesday, February 7 2006 15:11 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kathmandu: Just a day ahead of the controversial Municipal polls in Nepal, Maoist leader Prachanda has offered to talk to the government of King Gyanendra and floated the idea of a 'parallel Government' with the seven parties if the discussions fail, in remarks published today (Feb 7,2006).

In an exclusive interview published in 'Kathmandu Post' daily, Prachanda, chairman of CPN-(Maoist), said, "Our party is ready for holding a dialogue with the Royal Government if the latter announces ceasefire with the good intention of resolving the crisis. Political parties will also be involved in the process of dialogue."

"If the King does not accept that, we will form a parallel government involving the parties and the Maoists," he added.

"We are ready to form a parallel government with the involvement of the political parties and the Maoists and try to get international recognition by approaching the United Nations and other international community," he said.

"You restore the Parliament, we will support you, invite us for dialogue, we will come, lets form a common national army by including all (party cadres and the Maoists), and tell the UN that this is the official legitimate government," he said in remarks aimed at the Royal Government.

Another senior Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai was also present during the two-hour interview given at an undisclosed place and endorsed his views, the daily said.

While stressing establishment of democratic republic through constituent assembly elections, he said Maoists were flexible enough to accept even active monarchy.

"We are ready to accept the people's verdict, if they chose constitutional monarchy and multiparty democracy," he said.

"The middle class intellectuals still want the king to remain in a ceremonial capacity, but only the call for a republic will create enough pressure upon the King for that," the Maoist leader said.

Reiterating the Maoist's commitment to the 12-point agreement they had signed with the seven political parties, Prachanda refuted the government's charge that by doing so they were hatching a conspiracy to drag the political parties in their violent movement.

He said his party was for unconditional constituent assembly elections, adding, "After accepting the result of the constituent assembly, we are ready to go for peaceful competition with the political parties."

Prachanda said his party would accept the reinstatement of House of Representatives, a major demand of the political parties, only if the people restored it and not at the discretion of the King or through the Supreme Court decision, but did he not elaborate about the procedure.

He also said his party was ready to manage their 'People's Army', saying the weapons of both sides should be put together and "both the armies" should be transformed into one National Army under the supervision of the United Nations or another reliable agency.

He said the US was worried that if their 'revolution' becomes successful in Nepal, it will have direct impact on the one billion people of India and will also spill over to China.

He said UN mediation is the best option to resolve the conflict due to Nepal's geo-political situation between two giant countries India and China, as it would be acceptable to China, India and even the US.