Nepalis' messages to Prachanda

Nepal's new government, led by former Maoist rebel leader Prachanda, has been in office for one week now. Despite the end of the civil war, the country is still faced with huge social and economic problems.

Here, people in Nepal compile their messages to Prachanda setting out their priorities for the nation.

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SHAMMI SHAH, COMPUTER ENGINEER, 26, KATHMANDU

On what basis should we consider you our new leader when what you have shown is little different to those who ran government previously?

Your long war for the country's peace, prosperity and development has in fact turned our country into ruins.

How can we trust someone who killed all those journalists, teachers, intellectuals and commoners just because they chose to oppose you?

The only reason I voted for you was that I had no better options to choose from. I hope that maybe you could make a difference - and believe that you should have a chance to prove yourself.

Your top priorities should definitely be to return all the hard-earned properties of the people that you and your cadres have seized. You must be able to bring and enforce law in our country and keep people from taking to streets and vandalising property for every little thing they don't like.

I would encourage you to promote national goods and develop them. We have so much cultivable land, beautiful landscapes and lots and lots of water.

Everyone here in Nepal wants an end to the political instability and fear. You really need to make people believe in you if you want to get any work done.

AAYUSH KHANAL, DOCTOR, DHANKUTA

First of all I would like to congratulate you, Mr Prachanda, for reaching the supreme post in Nepal. But I'd like to say that with great power comes great responsibility, which you should always keep in mind.

You are no longer handling an immature and under-privileged army. You are uniting and carrying a whole people to build a better nation.

Firstly, I think you should kill your arrogance and the typical attitude of Maoist leaders. This is a new Nepal and you should improve yourself - the peace pact should be respected.

And when it comes to integrating the rebels into the national army I think that if they qualify by the normal standards and criteria they can be enrolled.

You should focus on making the best possible constitution which we Nepalis have dreamed of. I'd like to warn you that the goals and aspirations set by the Maoist ideology are high - if they remain unmet you will be buried deep in history as a hypocrite.

POOJA BHATTARAI, NGO WORKER, 25, KATHMANDU

Prachanda, I think first of all you should cease the violent activities of the Young Communist League which goes against the spirit and the rule of law.

Secondly as your party has proved to be the party with the majority of women's representatives in the constituent assembly, you should focus on women's rights such as higher education, health, education; employment and rights to property among others.

Focusing upon gender equality will lead to increased involvement of women in decision-making.

Moreover, drugs trafficking is an alarming development in Nepal and I think you should effectively enforce the law to curb this.

I would advise you to involve youth at a policy level and in the reconstruction of our country. Don't leave them behind because of the dangers of unemployment and youth violence.

SANDIP TIMISINA, COMPUTER PROGRAMMER, KATHMANDU

You have a huge challenge. How are you going to convince the investors that their investment will be safe and secure?

You and other leaders from your party have time and again talked of the drastic economic change your party is going to bring. I would like to know how you have planned such leap.

When a truck hits a cow, the highways are jammed with those asking for huge compensation, public property is vandalised over trivial issues. I would like to know how you are going to bring this culture to an end.

There is no rule of law in the country. Anyone can do anything and still go unpunished. How do you plan to make people feel that law is above everyone?

To me the major things you should focus on are health, education and employment. There are very few health facilities provided by government. People are still dying from simplest of the diseases due to lack of medicine.

Technologically we are lagging far behind. Our neighbour India has taken huge leaps in IT. We can also go in that direction.

SANDEEP JALAN

Law and order should be enforced in this country. The government needs to be strong enough to handle protests and strikes.

I think your priority should be the economy. When people have work to do, they will keep out of protests and strikes. You should make radical changes by bringing policies which would attract foreign money to the stock market. Your government should focus on the economy, hydropower airports.

I am very bullish about tourism in Nepal. I would suggest you make huge investments in advertising and promoting Nepal as a peaceful destination for tourists.

My advice to you would be to make people understand that your ambitions for Nepal cannot be achieved by government alone - but when everyone in Nepal starts contributing from their respective fields.

For this you must develop a vision, a slogan by which every Nepali could envision what his or her "new Nepal would be".