No need to fear about totalitarian rule in Nepal: prez

Nepal's first Leftist majority government has expressed commitment to the principles of democracy and dispelled fears about a totalitarian system after the formation of an all-Communist regime.

The two largest Communist parties - CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre - merged last week to form the Nepal Communist Party, that has a nearly two-third majority in Parliament.

The new government is fully committed to the principles of basic democratic values so there is no fear of introducing a totalitarian system by abolishing democratic system, said President Bidya Devi Bhandari reading out the government's policy document in Parliament.

Presenting the government's policies and programmes for 2018-19 Bhandari said, "Nepal government will adopt a good neighbour policy and will introduce regulations to attract foreign investments in the country".

She said the government will try to integrate the Nepalese economy into the world economy and convert Nepal to a middle income country within the next 10 years, adding the government will work for generating 5,000 MW of hydroelectricity within the next five years and 15,000 MW in 10 years.

Bhandari, addressing a joint meeting of the federal parliament, said the government is working to double economic growth in the next five years.