Kathmandu: A top leader of the Nepali
Congress, which is a key constituent of the ruling alliance,
said on Sunday that his party would support the former rebels in
its effort to form a coalition "if they gave up violence" and
disbanded the Maoists` paramilitary force.
Ram Chandra Poudel, leader of the parliamentary party
of the Nepali Congress (NC), also said that the post of party
president and coordinator of the political mechanism in the
country, left vacant after the death of former Prime Minister
G P Koirala, will be filled in a democratic manner.
"Nepali Congress follows a middle-path on the ideals
of G P Koirala. Since his death we are trying to fill the
vacant post of the co-coordinator by consensus and in a
democratic manner," Poudel said.
Hitting out at the UCPN-Maoist, the main Opposition
party who have threatened to bring a no-confidence motion in
Parliament, Poudel said the Maoists should first prove their
majority on the floor.
"Bringing no-confidence motion against the government
is a democratic right. But for that the Maoists should first
prove they have the majority," he said.
He underlined the need for the Maoists to disown
violence and return encroached properties and bring the former
combatants to mainstream society.
"If the Maoists try to move a no-confidence motion
against the government and manage to prove their majority,
then my party would support them if they gave up violence,
disbanded the Maoist army and enable them to join the social
mainstream," Poudel said.
"We wont tolerate the Maoists running a parallel
government or creating a situation of civil war," he said.
The Nepali Congress leader admitted that the party was
yet to recover from the passing away of Koirala, who dominated
the country`s politics for the last two decades.
"We are yet to recover from the shock of the death of
Koirala. But yet we have to chose a leader to continue with
the party works and the mechanism," he said.
However, Poudel declined to comment whether there is
any internal bickering in the party on the leadership issue.
Accusing the Maoists of acting in haste, Poudel said
that the former rebels came to power with many aspirations but
failed miserably.
"Maoists formed the government with a lot of
aspirations. However, they acted in haste and as a result
their Prime Minister has to resign," he said.
Poudel also accused the UCPN-Maoist of failing to keep
up to the promises made to people. "All the promises they have
made so far were not kept," he added.
Speaking about the new constitution, Poudel said, "The
deadline to draft the Constitution is May 28, but I am not
concerned whether the deadline can be met. What matters most
is that the new Constitution has to be an all-inclusive and
democratic one".
The political leaders are struggling to meet a May
28 deadline to finish the drafting of a new constitution as
stipulated by the peace process that brought the civil war to
an end in 2006.
Disagreements persist on such fundamental issues as
the structure of the national government and the creation of
federal states.
Political tensions have been high in Nepal since a
government led by the Maoists resigned earlier last year amid
a dispute with President Ram Baran Yadav over the
reinstatement of former army chief Rukmangad Katawal, who was
dismissed by the Prachanda-led government last May
The Maoists have demanded that the president publicly
admit that he acted "unconstitutionally" when he reversed the
decision by the Prachanda-led government to fire the army
chief. They then want the government disbanded, followed by
the formation of a new coalition government led by them.
Analysts fear that the death of Koirala, who was
instrumental in bringing the Maoists to mainstream politics
after a decade-long insurgency in 2006, could derail the
faltering peace process.
Koirala, who died on March 20 aged 85, spent the
final months of his life engaged in a desperate effort to put
the stalled peace process back on track in the country.
PTI
