Koirala dismisses Maoist demand

Nepal's intricate political theatre turns more complex with the PM rejecting Maoists' demand to announce the country as a republic from the parliament.

Updated on: Nov 4, 2007, 24:53:05 IST

Hindustan Times | By Anirban Roy, Kathmandu

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Nepal's intricate political theatre on Saturday turned more complex when Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala rejected Maoists' demand to announce the country as a republic from the parliament.

In a knee-jerk reaction to the Maoists' threat to launch a massive country-wide protest, Koirala rejected the Maoist demand for republic and said it was against the existing constitutional provisions in Nepal.

The Maoists have been demanding that Nepal be declared a republic before the Constituent Assembly election, and has also been asking for a fully proportional electoral system.

The Maoist leaders, including Chairman Prachanda, believed that a fully-proportional electoral system would brighten their prospects in the proposed Constituent Assembly election.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anirban Roy
Anirban Roy is the Deputy Resident Editor of HT’s Bhopal and Indore editions. A journalist for last 22 years, he has reported from India’s north-east and closely covered the Maoists’ Peoples’ War in Nepal.Read More

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