Nepali Congress split on joining govt

NC central working committee member Shekhar Koirala confirms the party is divided on the issue but says a decision would be taken soon. Anirban Roy reports.

After suffering a humiliating defeat in the Constituent Assembly poll, leaders of the Nepali Congress are now divided over joining the new government to be headed by Maoists.

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Central working committee member Shekhar Koirala, confirmed the party was divided on the issue, but said a decision would be taken soon.

“I feel that there is no harm in joining the Maoist-led government if they strictly adherence to peace agreements, return all seized properties and dissolve the parallel state mechanisms,” Shekhar said, adding the Maoist’s Young Communist League should be disbanded.

However, the party’s general secretary Gopal Man Shrestha said the party should not join the government. Party spokesman Arjun Narsingh KC also did not want the party to join the government.

Another party leader Laxman Prasad Ghimire said 99.9 per cent of party workers would not like to join the government. However, the Maoists would need support from other political parties to endorse the new constitution.

As per the interim constitution, a two-thirds majority would be needed in the house to endorse any decision in the 601-member assembly.