Former premier and Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala has alleged that His Majesty King Gyanendra has effectively shut down the doors of reconciliation with mainstream political parties.

Talking to reporters at the sidelines of the ‘tea reception’ organized by his party on the occasion of Bada Dashain at the NC’s central office at Sanepa, Lalitpur on Monday, Koirala said the on-going agitation will determine whether elections would take place in the country as announced by the government.

One of the founders of Nepali Congress and first popularly elected premier, late B. P. Koirala had initiated the tradition of hosting tea reception after he returned to the country from self-exile in India in 1977 calling for ‘national unity and reconciliation’ between the king and democratic forces in the country.

Nepali Congress leader GP Koirala (l) talking to North Korean Ambassador to Nepal HwangeYoung Hwan at the tea reception? organized by his party on the occasion of Bada Dashain at the NC?s central office at Sanepa in Lalitpur, Monday, Oct 17 05.

Nepali Congress leader GP Koirala (l) talking to North Korean Ambassador to …
His brother, G. P. Koirala, however, said during the weekend that his party had not invited members of the royal government in the tea reception.

Monday’s tea reception, however, saw sizeable presence of leaders and cadres of seven party opposition alliance, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Rastriya Janashakti Party, lawyers, doctors, university teachers, professionals and leading businessmen.

British envoy to Nepal, Keith G. Bloomfield, and Indian ambassador in Kathmandu, Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, were among members of diplomatic corps who joined the reception.

Talking to reporters, former chief justice and one of the drafters of the 1990 constitution, Bishwo Nath Upadhyay, said the royal directive to the Election Commission to hold parliamentary polls by mid-April 2007 is against the norms laid down by the constitution. He said only a popularly-elected government can specify dates for the polls.

General Secretary of CPN (UML), Madhav Kumar Nepal, said the seven party opposition alliance would create a storm of agitation after the Dashain and Tihar holidays. He further said there was no room for dialogue with the present government.

CPN (UML) is also organizing a tea reception at its party headquarters at Balkhu in Kathmandu on Tuesday afternoon.