Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala
Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala said his party will adopt a “wait and see” approach concerning the 9-point memorandum it submitted to the prime minister Sunday.
Speaking briefly to reporters emerging from the party’s parliamentary party (PP) meeting where he spent just 20 minutes on Monday, Koirala said his party will wait till today evening for the government’s views on the ultimatum given to it to fulfill the party’s nine-point demands that include implementation of the past agreements including immediate return of properties seized by the Maoists during the decade-long insurgency.
The former prime minister also said that his party will not create obstruction in the proceedings of the Constituent Assembly to be held in the capacity of legislative assembly, until the government reaction comes, adding that that NC will move ahead carefully reviewing the political situation and government’s behavior.
The meeting was called after NC lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction over the nine-point demand which included an ultimatum, saying it was submitted to the prime minister without enough internal consultations. The meeting also discussed how NC lawmakers will present themselves in the CA proceedings and their future course of action if the government ignores their ultimatum.
Meanwhile, the hopes of two prominent Congress leaders – Sher Bahadur Deuba and vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel – to become NC parliamentary leader were watered down today when Koirala staked claim over the post.
Koirala told reporters after the PP meeting that he would become the parliamentary leader this time too.
Recently, vice-president Poudel had announced that he would stand for the parliamentary leadership, expressing confidence that he would be elected to the post even though Sher Bahadur Deuba is known to be likeliest candidate if Koirala opted out.
Six months after the Constituent Assembly polls, the NC has still not been able to choose its parliamentary leader. nepalnews.com ag/mk Nov 10 08