Present coalition government in Nepal will last full five-year term says PM 'Prachanda'

Kathmandu, Jul 1 (PTI) Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" said on Saturday that the current coalition government would continue for a full five-year term as it was based on "optimum consensus."
     Prachanda, who was sworn in as Prime Minister on December 26 last year, leads the Himalayan country's 10-party ruling alliance.
     Interacting with journalists in Pokhara, some 200 km west from here, the 68-year-old Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre (CPN-MC) leader said, "The coalition government runs for five years, and we move ahead with forging optimum consensus,” according to sources at the Prime Minister’s Office.
     His comment assumes significance as not a single government in the Himalayan nation has managed to serve out a full five-year term since the restoration of democracy in 1990.
     Prachanda also termed his recent visit to India historic and said, "Indian Prime Minister's announcement to address border issue was a significant achievement. Earlier, no prime minister of India had said so."
     Last month, after holding wide-ranging talks with his Nepalese counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that as the two countries strive to take bilateral relations to Himalayan heights, they would resolve all issues, including those related to boundaries.
     Nepal is considered an important country for India as it shares a border of over 1,850 km with five states – Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The land-locked nation relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services.
     A similar achievement is India's positive gesture to import 10,000 MW of electricity from Nepal within ten years, which, Prachanda asserted, would open up avenues for further investment in the power sector.
     He also said that the investigation against corruption in the country would be further intensified, adding that whether it is the Bhutanese refugee scam or the Lalita Niwas land grab, the government will take strict action.
     "We've focussed our entire efforts to address the people's problems,” the prime minister said, adding that "tens of thousands of Nepalis working abroad have been brought under social security fund, which will have a long-term positive impact."
     Expressing his optimism about the country's current economic situation, the senior Maoist leader claimed that Nepal's economy is gradually getting on the right track.
     Prachanda said that he would pay an official visit to China soon and added that he would utilise it for the interest of Nepal and its people.
     Noting that he raised the matter related to providing new air routes during his India visit, Prachanda said it would soon bear the result and added that discussions regarding air routes would be held during his upcoming visit to China too.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)