Speaking at an interaction organised by Himalmedia, leading political figures from the Maoists, NC and UML said the economy had been held hostage by political instability for too long.

"It is because of politics that the economy hasn't moved forward at the desired rate," admitted the Arjun Narsingh KC of the NC, which is now in the opposition.

KC, however, cautioned the Maoists against trying to sell their "utopian dreams" and not to risk any major structural change in the economy with excessive national control that would jeopardise the individual liberty, private property and free market values.

UML leader Pradeep Gyawali said that development had come to a standstill during the conflict and the economy was devastated. There was a lot of rebuilding and catching up to do on both fronts.

"We have to take lessons from the past where we opened the market to suddenly and this killed local industries, on the other hand we don't want a command economy we have to take the middle economic path that focuses on our comparative advantage," Gyawali said.

He added that the peace process hadn't yet been brought to a logical end, and there was lots to be done. "It is not true what the Maoists say that the political revolution is over, let's have an economic revolution. The political part of the transition is still unfinished," he added.

The MJF's Upendra Jha stressed a national consensus for the economy in which politicians put the country's interest ahead of party or personal gain. "Economic growth was essentially held back because of politics and
the selfishness of the parties," he added.

The NC's assembly member from Kanchanpur, N P Saud agreed: "There should be a common policy on economic uses, despite our political differences."

The UML assembly member from Nuwakot, Bina Pandey was firm in the belief that "unless there is a political resolution there won't be economic development". She also felt that unless the productive capacity of Nepali
women was unleashed through gender equity, the economy would never take off.

The Maoist economist Devendra Poudel felt that capital development, through the financial sector and remittances, should be made more productive so it generated jobs. "Our party will stress this and a more self-sufficient economy in the new budget," Poudel added.