Nepal Maoists need to convince opposition for power

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal's Maoists, who emerged the single largest party in this month's historic election, now face the hard task of convincing the opposition of their commitment to democracy if they want to forge a coalition government.

The election saw voters dumping traditional parties, giving the Maoists a strong mandate for change, such as sweeping land reform to help farmers in one of the world's poorest nations.

But the Maoists still command a rebel army, have refused to renounce violence and speak of a "people revolt" if they are stopped from taking power, posturing that has unnerved opposition parties about their commitment to democratic ideals.

The Maoists, who have shunned most of their radical communist ideologies for capitalist policies, also say they want both head of the state and government posts.

"The first challenge for the Maoists is to legitimize their move to democracy through their behavior," said Yubaraj Ghimire, an editor and a political analyst. "The other political parties are scared and are in doubt. They have to be convinced."

As the single largest party, the Maoists, who won 220 seats in a 601-member special assembly are the strongest claimant to lead a coalition.

But the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (UML), the second and third largest parties respectively and both centrist parties, want to strike a balance of power.

They want the rebel army and Maoist youth wing disbanded, an easier constitutional provision to remove the head of government to preclude authoritarian rule and an equal share of power.

"The Maoists should not behave as if they have got a two-thirds majority," said Ameet Dhakal of the Kathmandu Post daily. "They are a minority, but the largest party; and they should be ready to share power."

PARTY BICKERING

The parties also bicker over whether Nepal should have a presidential executive or a prime ministerial form of government. The Maoists project their chief known as Prachanda as the country's first president. In that case, the prime minister should be from another party, the opposition says.

The Nepali Congress has even said a change of government was unnecessary because this was not a general election but an election to form a special assembly to write a new constitution.

"Why change the government?" said Man Bahadur Bishwakarma, a Nepali Congress politician. "The prime minister is not obliged to resign. The Maoists don't even have a simple majority."

Nepal's interim constitution does not offer much help on transformation of power. The Maoists cannot remove the present prime minister without a two-thirds majority..

The Maoists counter by saying the opposition was trying to subvert the people's verdict.

"The people's mandate is for us. If we are prevented then people will revolt and give a fresh mandate," said Rama Bahadur Thapa, a senior Maoist leader.

Analysts say that there is strong evidence Nepalis want change and the Maoists have that mandate.

"When people -- mainly the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized -- voted, they had change, not constitution, on their minds," said Dhakal. "They voted with a hope that the Maoists would bring about meaningful change in their lives."

Nonetheless, all parties are under pressure to form a consensus government because failing to do so would be seen as endangering a hard-won peace deal that brought Maoist rebels back into electoral politics.

"All of them are aware people are watching," said Ghimire. "They can not ignore the pressure of people's expectations."

Despite the problems, Maoist leaders say Nepal would have its new government within one month.

"Within three weeks to a month we should be able to form the government," Baburam Bhattarai, top Maoist leader and a prospective prime minister, told Reuters this month.

(Editing by Alistair Scrutton)