KATHMANDU, Nov 15: Nepal will maintain good relations with India and China under the next coalition government led by the Nepali Congress, which will emerge as the largest party in the upcoming elections, a top ruling party leader has said.
Senior Nepali Congress leader Prakash Man Singh also said that Nepal needs to maintain a balance in its foreign policy and if there are disputes with any of its neighbours, it will seek to resolve them through dialogue and democratic process.
“We will follow a non-aligned foreign policy. We will maintain good friendly relations with all the countries including the neighbours by keeping national interest and welfare of the people in focus,” Singh told PTI in an interview.
“We need help and cooperation from all the friendly countries towards attaining development and economic prosperity for our country,” he added.
The bilateral ties between New Delhi and Kathmandu had come under strain under then Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s government, which came out with a new map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as Nepal’s territories in 2020.
There were frequent reports about China encroaching Nepalese territory in Humla district as well as in the international media, which have often been denied by the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu.
“If there are disputes with any of our neighbours we will seek to resolve them through dialogue and democratic process,” Singh said.
Singh underlined that his first goal is to win the upcoming elections.
“Nepali Congress will emerge as the largest party in the upcoming Parliamentary election and it is natural that the largest party will lead the new government,” said Singh, who is the NC candidate from prestigious Kathmandu-1 constituency.
Since Nepali Congress had led the peace process and drafting of the new Constitution in 2015, now it’s time to bring about economic revolution through proper implementation of the constitution and Nepali Congress is ready to shoulder the responsibility, he said.
“We are passing through an economic crisis and there is a need to bring about economic prosperity so that the ordinary people can taste the fruits of democracy and Nepali Congress will focus its attention towards that direction after the election,” he said.
He said it was important to bring necessary laws to implement the Constitution which has the provision of provincial government for the first time in Nepalese history.
The Nepali Congress will direct its all efforts towards the economic agenda so that the people will be happy and the country will be prosperous, he added.
Singh said that the five-party ruling alliance should work in collaboration to safeguard democratic achievements and bring back the constitution to the right tract, which was derailed after then Prime Minister Oli dissolved the House of Representatives twice.
“We are contesting the upcoming Parliamentary and Provincial elections under the five party ruling alliance and the alliance is necessary even after we win the election,” he said.
Singh claimed that the new government to be formed after the election will be led by the five party alliance, which includes Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN-Unified Socialist among others.
After the elections, the top leaders of the ruling alliance will sit together and chalk out the roadmap regarding formation of the government, he said.
The ruling coalition has made an electoral alliance in the majority of seats.
Nepal will elect 165 Parliament members through direct voting during the Parliamentary elections on November 20.
This will be the second Parliamentary and Provincial level elections after the promulgation of the new Constitution, which turned the country into a federal democratic republic.
There are in total 275 seats in the House of Representatives, out of which 165 will be elected directly and remaining 110 will be elected through proportionate voting system. (PTI)
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