Sunday, February 26 2006 14:05 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kathmandu: Former Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who was recently released from jail following a Supreme Court order, has said that King Gyanendra should hand over power to the seven agitating parties even as he asked Maoists to prove their commitment to peace by ending violence.

Deuba, the Nepali Congress (Democratic) President, said the King would never agree to hold constituent assembly polls, a major demand of the Maoists.

Even if such elections take place and their outcome goes in favour of the monarch's 'autocratic' rule or the 'proletariat dictatorship' of Maoists, the seven-party alliance would not accept that, he told 'The Kantipur' daily in an interview.

"Even if (Maoist supremo) Prachanda agrees on active monarchy as the outcome of the constituent assembly I will not accept that," he said.

"We should be clear that our freedom and right to protest should always be protected," Deuba said.

Deuba also said the King should hand over power to the seven-party alliance, because it was the monarch who picked up a fight with the parties and not the opposite.

He claimed that the King was not worried about the deteriorating situation of the country, but the seven parties were very much concerned about that.

Deuba also said that there was a need to revise some provisions of the 12-point agreement reached between the seven-party alliance and Maoists.

When the 12-point agreement was reached Deuba was in jail as per the verdict of the royal anti-graft commission for his alleged involvement in corruption in the Melamchi Drinking Water Project. He recently came out of jail after nine months following the Supreme Court verdict that abolished the anti-graft commission and annulled all its rulings.

Deuba, however, did not elaborate on what amendment was needed in the agreement but said the Maoists should translate into action their commitment to peace by ending violence and terror and not just provide 'lip-service.'

He said the Maoists must also assure the parties and the people of their commitment to multi-party democracy, civil liberties and press freedom.

Deuba, however, dismissed media reports that when he talked about reviewing the 12-point agreement he was taking the side of US Ambassador James F Moriarty, who criticised the pact and cautioned the pro-democracy parties not to forge an alliance with the Maoists.