Maoists will lead the next government: Dr Bhattarai

Kathmandu, Apr 14 (UNI) Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai has said his party, being the largest political party through the Constituent Assembly poll, will lead the next coalition government.

''Everybody must accept that we, being the largest political party, have the right to lead the next government'' Dr Bhattarai said in an interview to Kantipur.

He said portfolios in the next government would be distributed among respective political parties on the basis of the seats obtained through the CA election.

''We will respect the letter and spirit of the Interim Constitution and will move ahead in consensus,'' he said.

On being asked how he viewed the Maoists' sweeping victory during the CA poll, Dr Bhattarai said, ''We targeted the underprivileged, marginalised section of society, including women.

We empowered those groups of society and were successful to secure such result.'' One fundamental issue was that the Nepalese people wanted change of faces through this election, he added.

Dr Bhattarai reiterated that his party will promote private-public partnership as part of economic policy.

''We will establish a good relationship between labour and management,'' he said.

While stating that the UML had already lost its communist character, he claimed that the Maoists have already replaced the UML.

''There will be only two major political parties in this country, Nepali Congress, leading the bourgeois and wealthy people on the one hand, and the Maoists, leading the progressive and poor people. UML holds neither the characteristics of poor nor the rich,'' he said.

Dr Bhattarai said the Maoists will establish good relations with the international community.

Responding to a query as to how the Maoists will view the United States, which hasn't yet removed the Maoists from its terrorist list, Dr Bhattarai said, ''I am sure the United States respects democratic principles and it must accept the verdict of Nepalese people.'' UNI XC SLD BST1428