    
Vytwo
Mudiripoyina Bewarse
Username: Vytwo
Post Number: 6970
Registered: 01-2005
Posted From: 162.119.64.100
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Votes: 0(Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 17, 2008 - 7:35 pm: |    |
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/N-Deal_possible _even_if_govt_loses_trust_vote/articleshow/3247394 .cms
The PM may be committed to withdrawing the safeguards draft from the IAEA if the government loses the trust vote on July 22, but officials in the government say there’s no need to pull it out irrespective of what happens in the Lok Sabha.
If it goes into cold storage after the trust vote, it’ll be because the government chose to do so. For, the government has to only see the agreement through the IAEA board. The next few stages will be spearheaded by the US, not India.
According to sources in the government, if the UPA coalition fails the trust vote and becomes a caretaker government, they would be constrained from taking any fresh policy decisions. "But there is no law that prevents a government from carrying on with its existing policies," said a source.
However, the PM has said India would halt the process if he lost the trust vote. If he is held to his word, then in the event of a loss on Tuesday, he would have to signal to the IAEA that India cannot attend the meeting on August 1.
Legally, there is nothing that stops the government. In many ways, the deal then goes out of India’s hands as it will be the responsibility of the US to pilot it through the NSG.
Meanwhile, the US’ top diplomat, William Burns, will be in Vienna on Friday, when foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon briefs the IAEA board and NSG members. Burns replaces Nick Burns who negotiated the deal. William is also expected to visit India days after the trust vote for talks.
Sources also said German chancellor Angela Merkel has indicated that, as president of the NSG, she would call an NSG meeting within days of the IAEA clearing the deal. In the US, senator Joe Biden has also gone on record to say that he would fight "like the devil" to clear the deal if India does its bit. Moreover, Barack Obama’s support for the deal has almost put it on auto pilot.
Significantly, on Thursday the Chinese government indicated its own emerging flexibility on support to the deal.
chirutha becomes cat . |
