KIRAN PANDAY

Deshantar: Is the NC planning to topple the current government?
No. The Maoists are intentionally creating false rumours to assert autocracy. We aren't thinking about an alternative right now. If we are able to bring the Maoists on the right track, we won't need an alternative.

What do you mean by bringing them on the right track?
The Maoists have to behave like a constitutional party. They are still using violence, even though they promised to enter a multi-party democracy underpinned by the rule of law, with a respect for human rights and press freedom. Even though the prime minister announced that all seized property would be returned, nothing has been done. We will make the Maoists carry out what we've agreed on.

Isn't an ordinance the government's constitutional right?
Yes, it is. We've introduced ordinances in the past too. But not introducing any bills while the parliament was in session, and bombarding the cabinet with more than a dozen new ordinances a week later is against parliamentary tradition. The words in a bill are very important, each clause needs to be debated and endorsed in agreement. Delicate issues like disappearances are not something that a single party should decide on.

Are you against the bill itself or the way it was introduced?
We are not against a commission being formed to investigate disappearances, but there should be discussion on how it is formed and what its activities will be. Since the Maoists themselves are suspects, they are being self protecting about this issue.

There are claims that by raising property issues, the NC is trying to hinder the constitution making process. Is it that you don't want to draft a constitution under the Maoists?
It's the Maoists that don't seem to want to draft the constitution. They don't seem serious. When they came into government, they agreed on a multi-party republic but they're talking about a people's republic now. We will take part in the constitution-drafting process but we won't let the Maoists bring a one-party autocracy.

Should we start thinking about an alternative government?
You can't change a government every three months. Even though there is debate on how true the support is, constitutionally, they are in power. They have the numbers, and the constitutional right. We don't. If the situation gets worse, the government will fall apart by itself.

The Maoists are threatening to take over.
It's impossible to take over power. They won't do it through violence, because if that was the plan, they would have done it a long time back. If they try to, however, there will be protests all over Nepal, and we will take the lead.