Commitment Reiterated

PRIME Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, speaking at a mass meeting organised by Nepali the Congress Jhapa Disrict Committee, in Birtamod Saturday reiterated his commitment to the constituent assembly (CA) polls. Prime Minister Koirala also said that the government wold not hesitate to take harsh measures to strengthen law and order without which the CA polls cannot be held within the given timeframe. This is an indication that every measure will be taken so that the polls will be held as per the agreement of the eight parties. Koirala without mincing words made it clear that the mandate given by the people for the polls will be held in time. However, the recent spate of violence has to be controlled so that a conducive environment could be created to hold the said elections in a fair, free and impartial manner. Much hope is pinned on the polls as it will have the responsibility of drafting an all-inclusive constitution of the country. Premier Koirala was stern in his speech and said that he would not waver from stringent measures to restore peace and order. What the country needs now is stability, complete democracy, human rights, freedom and prosperity. But for all this to be realised, national unity and conciliation are very necessary. The question of lasting peace is also equally important.

On the question of declaring a republic right now, Prime Minister Koirala said that some people had been pressing him on this issue, but he revealed that he would speak in its favour through the right course. When the eight parties had agreed that the first meeting of the constituent assembly would do the needful, it is futile to talk of it at this moment. The first and foremost focus should be on creating the right environment for the CA polls to be held within a set timeframe. For this, the eight party leaders must sit down and thrash out the solutions so that the date for the polls could be announced as soon as possible. Consensus must emerge among the top leaders on issues over which the eight party meetings have been pondering. It is the duty of all the leaders to remove any confusion or doubt that exists regarding the polls. As the future of the country rests on holding the polls, the leaders need to be serious instead of bickering over petty issues. Meanwhile, the other issues regarding the demands of the agitating groups must also be looked into by the government so that the right atmosphere can be created for holding the polls. Also everyone must behave responsibly instead of trying to create situations that are not in the interest of the people and the country.

Source: The Rising Nepal, June 4, 2007