India disappointed with delay in Nepal's peace process: Sood

Kathmandu, Aug 11 (PTI) India is "disappointed" with
Nepal missing the target set for drafting a new Constitution
and completing the ongoing peace process, outgoing Indian
Ambassador to the country Rakesh Sood said on Thursday.
"I am leaving Kathmandu with a sense of satisfaction but
with a little disappointment," Sood told reporters at
Tribhuvan International Airport, minutes before his departure
to New Delhi after completing three and half years tenure in
Nepal.
Seasoned diplomat Jayant Prasad will succeed Rakesh Sood
as the new Ambassador to Nepal.
Conveying India's intentions towards its neighbour, Sood
said, "India would like to see a peaceful, prosperous,
democratic and stable Nepal".
"India wants to contribute towards achieving economic
prosperity for Nepal", Sood said.
But, Sood said he was disappointed with Nepal missing the
target of drafting a new Constitution and completing the
ongoing peace process.
"When I arrived in Nepal in April 2008, after the
Constituent Assembly elections were held there was a sense of
optimism as the peace process was supposed to be complete
within six months and the new constitution was supposed to be
promulgated within two years", he said.
"Now the peace process remains incomplete and the new
Constitution has not come within the stipulated time frame,
disappointing the people in the country", he added.
He said it was upto the Nepalese people to take forward
the peace process and to complete the drafting of the
constitution adding that the international community can only
play a supportive role.
Sood hoped that the task of drafting the new constitution
and the peace process will be completed in the coming months.
Nepal Maoists ended its decade-long civil war in 2006
and emerged as the single largest party in the 2008 election.
The Assembly, which was formed after the election, was
originally elected with a two-year mandate -- to end on May
28, 2010 with the promulgation of the constitution.
However, the interim parliament failed to draft a
constitution last year and its term was extended for one year
in a last minute deal among the political parties.
On May 29, Nepal's key parties today agreed to extend the
tenure of the Constituent Assembly by three months.