Koirala admits having direct talks with Maoist leaders

December 7, 2005
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Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala (File photo)

Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala (File photo)
Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala Wednesday conceded that the leaders of the seven parties held direct negations with Maoist leaders, which resulted in the 12-point agreement between the two sides.

Addressing a mass meeting organized by the NC in Bhaktapur, Koirala, who, along with CPN (UML) general secretary was mandated by the seven-party alliance to hold talks with the Maoists, confided, “We indeed had direct, face-to-face talks with them [Maoist leaders].”

The NC strongman further maintained that he was ready to hold negotiations with the Maoists in any part of the world to make success the parties’ bid to peacefully resolve the political crisis facing the country.

According to reports, Koirala and UML general secretary Nepal accompanied by some other senior alliance leaders had met top Maoist leaders in the Indian capital New Delhi few weeks earlier.

Nepali Congress organised a mass meeting in Bhaktapur. Party president Girija Prashad Koirala and other senior leaders addressed the mass meeting, Wednesday, Dec 07 05. nepalnews.com

Speaking further at the Bhaktapur mass meeting, Koirala said he was against the use of guns by the Maoist party. He also ruled out any possibility of compromise with the King. “If the King continues to go against the interest of the people, the future of monarchy itself will be at stake,” he warned and accused the ‘autocratic royal government’ of trying to create hurdles in the parties’ effort to bring peace in the country.

Addressing the gathering, NC vice-chairman Sushil Koirala said Nepali people were not ready to bear with the “autocratic regime in place” under any circumstances.

Another speaker, general secretary Ram Chandra Poudel, said the parties should intensify the ongoing movement to establish absolute democracy in the country and added that the parties should mobilize the people against the elections declared by the government.

Prior to the mass meeting, thousands of NC activists took out demonstrations from different parts of the ancient city, chanting slogans against the government.