Gandhi shaping India’s government

NEW DELHI – Sonia Gandhi was yesterday finalising the shape of a new Indian government, even as the country’s communists debated whether to join the administration and risk backlash from their supporters.

Officials of the leftist-backed Congress Party were optimistic an agreement would be struck when Gandhi meets all potential coalition partners later yesterday, paving the way for her to seek permission from President Abdul Kalam to form a government. Congress secretary general Ambika Soni said Gandhi would first meet the party’s pre-poll allies over dinner at her Delhi home before going into talks with the communists.”The discussions will be on forming a stable secular coalition government,” Soni said, adding that a name for the alliance would also be finalised.One suggestion, she said, is the Secular Progressive Alliance.Italian-born Gandhi’s communist and Marxist allies, who were meeting separately yesterday, were undecided on whether to join the government or to support a Congress-led coalition from the outside, party officials said.Economists dismissed fears that India’s economic liberalisation might be stalled by the incoming communist-backed government, though Indian markets plunged over six per cent Friday on investor worries that privatisation and deficit cuts would be put on the backburner.”Economic reforms are irreversible.Nobody can stop reforms in a country that is one of the world’s fastest growing economies,” said Y.M. Deosthalee, chief financial officer at engineering giant Larsen and Toubro.Congress leaders also promised continuity in foreign policy, with Natwar Singh, who is tipped by some to be new foreign minister, saying New Delhi would continue the peace process with Pakistan but would likely distance itself from Washington.- Nampa-AFPCongress secretary general Ambika Soni said Gandhi would first meet the party’s pre-poll allies over dinner at her Delhi home before going into talks with the communists.”The discussions will be on forming a stable secular coalition government,” Soni said, adding that a name for the alliance would also be finalised.One suggestion, she said, is the Secular Progressive Alliance.Italian-born Gandhi’s communist and Marxist allies, who were meeting separately yesterday, were undecided on whether to join the government or to support a Congress-led coalition from the outside, party officials said.Economists dismissed fears that India’s economic liberalisation might be stalled by the incoming communist-backed government, though Indian markets plunged over six per cent Friday on investor worries that privatisation and deficit cuts would be put on the backburner.”Economic reforms are irreversible.Nobody can stop reforms in a country that is one of the world’s fastest growing economies,” said Y.M. Deosthalee, chief financial officer at engineering giant Larsen and Toubro.Congress leaders also promised continuity in foreign policy, with Natwar Singh, who is tipped by some to be new foreign minister, saying New Delhi would continue the peace process with Pakistan but would likely distance itself from Washington.- Nampa-AFP