Angry with the delay in the progress of constitution writing, Nepal’s former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Sunday threatened that his party may be forced to put in writing its own the new constitution of the Himalayan nation.
Though the election to the Constituent Assembly was held in April this year, the Maoist-led government is yet to start the process of writing the new constitution of Nepal.
Koirala told newsmen at Pokhara on Sunday that he and his party (Nepali Congress) are committed to write the new constitution of Nepal. “We will write the constitution if the government fails to do,” he said.
“I am confident that people of Nepal would respect our endeavour and endorse the constitution that we write,” Koirala said.
The Constituent Assembly has drafted a time-chart to complete the writing of the constitution by May 2010. But, it is yet to constitute the drafting committee.
Koirala alleged that the Maoists are desperately trying to delay the constitution writing process by raising other political issues.
“Maoists are not serious to write the new constitution,” the octogenarian political leader said. At present, Nepali Congress is in the opposition, and is all out to criticize the Maoist-led government.
{{/usCountry}}“Maoists are not serious to write the new constitution,” the octogenarian political leader said. At present, Nepali Congress is in the opposition, and is all out to criticize the Maoist-led government.
{{/usCountry}}While the Nepali Congress is opposed to the government decision to integrate the Maoist’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with the Nepal Army, Koirala on Sunday put forward new demands to derail the entire process.
Koirala demanded that Maoists must dissolve its youth wing --- the Young Communist League (YCL) before the start of the process of integration PLA and Nepal Army.
“Until and unless YCL is dissolved, the government should not dream of integration of the armies,” the veteran Nepali Congress leader said, adding, “I won’t even let the process begin”.
Koirala had even sought for New Delhi’s help in taming the Maoist-led government, and had registered a formal protest last week with Indian External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee.