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ShareKathmandu: The Maoists have deferred plans to declare "autonomous" regions in Nepal in a bid to woo the international community as the UN secretary general echoed the former rebels' demand for a national unity government to end the political crisis.
Maoist chairman Prachanda said that the party had postponed its earlier programme to declare 'Autonomous Republican State' which was seen as a violation of Nepal's peace pact, as UN chief's Ban Ki-moon's recently published report adviced Nepal to form a national unity government to move the peace process forward.
However, Ban'ssuggestion for the establishment of a national unity government was angrily rejected by the 22-party alliance, who accused the UN chief of political interference.
The ruling alliance here said the people of the country possess the right and authority to decide what type of administration they want.
"It is up to the Nepalese people and the political parties to decide what kind of government to form, how to form it and under whose leadership to form it," the alliance said in a statement after its meeting yesterday.
Prachanda told his supporters yesterday that there was no alternative to a national government in the country, so one cannot condemn the UN's opinion.
The Maoist chief was quoted as saying in the media today that the programme to declare 'Autonomous Republican State' was mere "publicity", and therefore it has been postponed. He said the political deadlock would end with the formation of a unity government.
The Maoists had planned to announce 13 "autonomous regions" as part of an ongoing anti-government protests to step up pressure on the coalition to rectify president Ram Baran Yadav's decision to reinstate General Rukmangad Katawal, the then Army Chief dismissed by Maoists prime minister Prachanda in May.
The ruling alliance had described the plan to declare "autonomous regions" as against the comprehensive peace accord the former guerrillas signed with the interim government led by GP Koirala in 2006.
CPN-Maoist, who formed Nepal's first post-royal government after the former rebels emerged as the largest party in the constituent assembly polls last year, have rejected invitations to join any coalition government as a junior partner.
The ruling parties called on Maoists to speed up the process of integration and rehabilitation of their combatants, saying that as long as it has an army, weapons and semi-military forces under its command, it would be undemocratic for such a group to lead the government.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Maoists had withdrawn their programme to blockade the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu following the meeting of Maoist leadership with the diplomats based in Kathmandu.
Besides calling on the Nepal Maoists to immediately stop the blockade of parliamentary proceedings, the government decided to request Speaker Subas Nembang to play a "necessary role" to let the current fiscal year's budget pass in the assembly.
"We have decided to request the Speaker to use his powers in the House for the protection of the rights of the majority," said CPN-UML leader Pradip Gyawali.
