Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala (File photo)

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala (File photo)
Giving a clear hint that the Nepali Congress (NC) will not, at any cost, be ready to declare republic from the parliament, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala Monday said turning the country into a republic would not be an easy task.

Addressing the closing ceremony of the four-day meeting of NC district presidents in Lalitpur, Koirala said republic “will not come through cheap sloganeering”. “There has to be certain procedures to establish republic,” he said.

Koirala, however, did not say anything categorically regarding his party’s position on monarchy as well as the republic.

He urged the district presidents to return to the districts with a positive mindset and be active in creating favourable atmosphere for constituent assembly election.

The Prime Minister also admitted that there were serious lapses in the country’s internal security system and pledged tough security measures in the near future. He also assured to take up matters personally if the district presidents came under security threats while working in their areas.

Speaking during the meeting, most of the district presidents raised objection to the activities of the Maoist youth wing, the Young Communist League (YCL).

They also demanded that the party leadership clarify its position on monarchy and the demand for a republic at the earliest so that it would be easy for them to face the electorate in the forthcoming constituent assembly election.