US ready to have N-deal even with a minority govt

MICS-India By shekhar kulshreshtha
Posted online: Monday , July 21, 2008 at 06:17:37
Updated: Monday , July 21, 2008 at 06:14:04
Washington, July 21: Ahead of the crucial trust vote that will decide the fate of the UPA government, the US on Monday said it will move forward on the nuclear deal with any dispensation in New Delhi -- even if it is in minority.

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Richard Boucher said Bush administration will have no problem in dealing with a minority government as “minority governments are common around the world.” “I don’t have them off the top of my head, but I mean, minority governments are common around the world,” he said.

“You can’t say, ‘Oh, well, we are going to stop dealing with you till the next election or until some new coalition or something. That’s not for us to say,” Boucher said commenting on the future of the nuclear deal if the UPA government fails to win the confidence vote in the Lok Sabha.

He said the US will continue to work with any legitimate government in India New Delhi to push forward the deal.

“If they have a legitimate government -- people who are empowered to run the government -- that’s who we’ll deal with,” Boucher said.

“In terms of the United States and India, we deal with the legally constituted government of India -- whoever is running that government at the time, that’s who we sign agreements with. So, that’s not a problem for us,” he said.

He said the Bush administration was ready to “go as far as” possible to see conclusion of the deal.

“We are going to work with the Indians, we are going to work with the Congress and we are going to take this as far as we can go,” Boucher said.

“We are very excited by the prospect, we’ll see what happens in the confidence vote, but however far the Indians could go, we are going to try to take it that far or further.

So, that’s what we are going to do,” he said. MORE PTI SK MPB 07211751 DEL NUCLEAR-US 2LST Asked about whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was little too late in pushing ahead with the deal, Boucher said it may not be “too late.” “I guess what I’ll say is it’s never too late. This is not a deal between a government and another government. It’s a deal between the United States and India -- it’s good for India, it’s good for the United States.” On whether main opposition BJP’s contention that without parliamentary approval the UPA government does not have the moral right to conclude the nuclear deal, Boucher said “on our side, there is no legal problem or moral problem”.

“On their side there may not be a legal question, but there’s always political questions and they’re going to have to figure that one out themselves “(But) As long as they are a duly constituted government, we are happy to deal with them,” he said.

On the timeframe left for the 110th Congress to clear the deal, Boucher said the administration would try to push it and if the present Congress could not ratify it then the new Congress would take it up.

“As we move through, if we can move it to the point where the president can certify all the things that he has to certify, take the package and send it to Congress, we’ll do that. If the Congress is in a position to act on it, I am sure they’ll try to do that.

“So, I think, everybody wants to take it as far as we can. I can’t promise what the US Congress will do, but if we take it to some point and times expires on this Congress, then the new Congress will have to take it up -- that’s all you can say. So, that’s our pledge."