Nepalese PM struck secret deal with Prachanda before resigning

Kathmandu, Jul 5 (ANI): Nepalese Prime Minister Madhav Kumar struck a secret agreement with Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (UCPN-M) chairman Prachanda on the basic principles of the new constitution and the peace process, before his resignation.

According to Nepali Congress party's former lawmaker Amresh Kumar Singh, who has been involved in numerous informal talks with the Maoists since the peace process began, the Nepalese PM resigned three days after he struck a verbal deal with Prachanda on June 27.

In his interview with myrepublica.com after his resignation on June 30, Madhav Kumar Nepal had stated that he talked to Prachanda three days ago, but did not disclose anything about the deal.

According to Singh, it was agreed that Prachanda would welcome the Prime Minister's resignation within 30 minutes of its coming and both parties would immediately begin works on peace process and the new democratic constitution. After this, they had agreed to form a Maoist-led national consensus government, Xinhua reports.

In the secret talks, both leaders had agreed to integrate 5,000 UCPN-M combatants into the national security forces-Nepal Army, Civilian Police and Armed Police Forces-and give a golden handshake with attractive economic packages to the rest.

Singh said Nepal and Prachanda also agreed to adopt press freedom, independence of the judiciary (not under the direct control of parliament) and competitive multi-party democracy to ensure a democratic constitution.

"Under my own initiatives, it was also agreed that six provinces-four in the hills and two in the Terai-would be created while restructuring the state," Singh added.

He also revealed that both agreed to complete the process of integration and rehabilitation in four months, within the current tenure of United Nations Mission in Nepal, and promulgate the new constitution before February.

Singh said there was no fourth person present when the deal was struck at a private house and both Nepal and Prachanda were there without their security guards and official drivers. (ANI)