Nepal PM's India visit becomes uncertain

KATHMANDU: Though Nepal’s foreign secretary Dr Madan Kumar Bhattarai has flown to New Delhi to hold talks with his counterpart, Nirupama Rao, on Thursday to set the agenda for Nepal premier Jhala Nath Khanal’s first official visit to New Delhi next month, the trip has now become uncertain following developments at home.
Both New Delhi and Khanal had been keen on his visit to India in the first week of May, prior to the Nepali PM heading towards Istanbul to attend the 4th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries from May 9-13.However, protocol dictated that the premier wait till India sent its external affairs minister to Kathmandu first and New Delhi had to delay S M Krishna’s trip from March to April 20-22 as Khanal struggled to expand his cabinet and it was feared that an early visit by the Indian minister would be construed as India’s attempt to intervene.
Now with the budget session starting in Nepal from May 2, the chance of Khanal finding time to call on his southern neighbour in May has become very slender. After the Istanbul conference, only a fortnight will remain for the government to unveil a new constitution. The possibilities of the Khanal government being able to promulgate a new statute by May are remote and the PM has already been hinting at extending the term of parliament yet a second time.
However, the attempt could trigger protests by the opposition parties, creating a volatile situation. On Tuesday, three Terai parties under the umbrella of the Samyukta Loktantik Madhesi Morcha fired a salvo, warning the Khanal government they would oppose any extension bid. Also opposing any further extension of the constitutional deadline is the royalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal, that is calling for fresh elections.
The Maoists, though Khanal's ally in the ruling alliance, have also said they would start public campaigns soon after May Day. With Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda now turning back on a fresh revolution and mooting focusing on peace and te new constitution but his deputy, the radical MOhan Vaidya calling for a "People's Revolution in May, all eyes are on the largest party to see which path it decides to follow. The Maoist leadership has begun debating the two differeing courses of action and things will be clearer only after the meeting is over.