The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, New Delhi

Communist parties said the government must tell them by Monday if it plans to press ahead with the next step in a controversial civilian nuclear deal with the United States, which they strongly oppose.

Scrambling to avoid snap elections if the left withdraws support over the deal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is trying to line up a regional party to secure a parliamentary majority for his Congress party-led ruling coalition.

The communists have threatened to end their backing for the government if it seeks approval for the deal from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the next international move needed to operationalise the pact.

"We wish to know definitely whether the government is proceeding to seek the approval of the safeguards agreement by the board of governors of the IAEA," said Prakash Karat, head of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), reading out a letter addressed to the government. "Please let us know the position by July 7, 2008."

The communist party said it would launch a national campaign from July 14 to explain its opposition to the nuclear deal and what it called "runaway" inflation.

Singh heads to a G8 summit in Japan next week, where he will likely meet U.S. President George W. Bush-the man who shook hands with Singh over the accord at the White House in 2005.

It looks increasingly likely that the prime minister will press ahead with the landmark accord, moving his country's trade and diplomatic relations closer to the West.

Frustrated after four years of stymied reforms due to leftist opposition, Singh now seems to want to secure his legacy before the end of his term, even if some experts say time has run out for U.S. Congress to pass the deal before Bush leaves office.