India can't settle impasse over US nuke deal

A meeting Wednesday between the Indian government and its communist allies failed to settle an impasse over a landmark nuclear deal with the United States. Faced with a choice of breaking with the communists and heading to early elections or abandoning the deal, seen as a cornerstone in the strengthening partnership between New Delhi and Washington, the government chose to stall for more time. "The committee completed its discussions on all aspects of the Indo-U.S. civil nuclear cooperation agreement. The next meeting of the committee, to be convened in due course, will finalize its findings," said Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee, reading from a terse prepared statement after the meeting. He declined to answer questions. Mukherjee represented the governing Congress party at the hour-long talks with leaders of the communist parties and heads of several smaller members of the ruling coalition. The nuclear deal would reverse three decades of American policy by allowing the shipment of atomic fuel and technology to India, which has not signed international nonproliferation accords and has tested nuclear weapons. India, in exchange, would open its civilian reactors to international inspections. While the government appeared to be trying to stall, its time could be running out. U.S. officials said earlier this year that with American elections coming up _ and no guarantee the next American administration will keep the deal on the table _ India needed to complete its end of the pact before the U.S. Congress starts its summer break in July because many lawmakers will be busy campaigning in the fall. The deal has faced stiff opposition from India's communist parties, which don't want to see New Delhi drawn closer to Washington. The communists, who prop up the government from the outside, have threatened to withdraw their support if the current administration presses on with the nuclear pact, a move that could topple the government and lead to early elections. For India to move ahead with the deal it needs to sign a separate deal with the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency that's needed before the U.S. Congress can approve the pact. There was no change of heart from the communists after the talks. "We will not allow this government to go for the IAEA board approval," said Debabrata Biswas, a senior communist official who attended the meeting. With no concessions from the communists, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be forced to either move forward without their support _ a risky political move _ or abandon the much touted nuclear agreement. There had been intense political maneuvering ahead of the meeting, with Congress holding a series of talks with its coalition partners in a bid to determine if they had the support to break with the communists. But the move, spearheaded by Singh, who has staked his reputation on the deal, was dealt a blow by the release of figures last week that put inflation at 11.05 percent, a 13-year high _ dampening the appetite of the political parties for early elections. For U.S. President George W. Bush, the deal would be a major foreign policy success amid the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. For India, it would provide much-needed nuclear fuel for its energy-hungry economy. ___
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