Kathmandu, January 29:

Former Chairman of Raj Parishad Standing Committee Dr Keshar Jung Rayamajhi today suggested talks between the King and the political parties as well as the Maoists if the nation expects to swing back to normalcy on all fronts.

“The greater the delay in opening talks with each other, greater will be the problem,” said Dr Rayamajhi. This is a departure in his view since he was known to propagate a view that “problems can be resolved if the king headed a government.” He expressed this view much before February 1, 2005.

When pointed out at the current situation with neither the King nor the political parties keen to talk to each other, Dr Rayamajhi insisted that “exchanges between the King and the parties must take the form of talks sooner or later.”

Reacting on the demand for a constitutent assembly, he said that the same stands ruled out since the 1990 constitution has upheld parliamentary democracy, constitutional monarchy, rule of law, respect to human rights with no reference at all to the possibility of the nation ever going to constituent assembly.

“Going by the constitution, there is no way we can ever expect to go to constituent assembly election. If the parties really want another constitution, they must be able to convince the King about the need and efficacy,” Dr Rayamajhi said.

Earlier, United Left Front (ULF) leader CP Mainali presented a case for election to constituent assembly, insisting on the need to settle the longstanding issue of who wields the real power from among the people and the monarchy.

However, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) General Secretary Deepak Bohora said constituent assembly was not at all the agenda of his party, reiterating the need to make do with constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy.