Kathmandu, March 2

Nepali Congress leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula today said the legacy of party leaders cannot be confined to the families of the leaders.

Declaring his candidacy for party presidency and his panel here today, Sitaula urged supporters to judge party leaders who are in the election fray, on their merit now and he would judge party cadres after the 13th General Convention was over.

The NC leader said he realised the dream of late legendary leader Girija Prasad Koirala, who told him that the mission of the party should be to rid the country of the threat posed by two types of guns the king’s guns and the Maoists’ guns.

Sitaula said Koirala wanted to see in his lifetime the Maoists being disarmed and a new constitution being promulgated, but he could not see those things happening. “I have fulfilled what I had verbally promised to him,” Sitaula said in a reference to the delivery of the new constitution and mainstreaming of the Maoist party.

He said Gagan Thapa, who was contesting for the post of party’s General Secretary was young, but was able to take the mantle of the country.

Sitaula said the party leadership should be able to restore peace, stability and protect the integrity, independence and sovereignty of the country and bind all the regions of the country  mountains, hills and the plains.

He further said that the party could not backtrack on republicanism, federalism and inclusion. He said the next generation could decide on the thorny issues of provincial boundaries.

Gagan Thapa, who declared his candidacy for the post of party’s General Secretary, said the NC should act prudently to solve the Tarai crisis, to deal with the threat of extremist forces, to neutralise the effects of border blockade and to give people the hope that their lives would change for the better.

Thapa said his candidacy was a difficult decision as his father-in-law (Arjun Narsingh KC) had also declared his candidacy for the post of General Secretary but as a leader he was concerned about the welfare of people and not about his own family or relatives.

Thapa said 62 per cent voters of the country were below 40 and if the GC representatives did not vote for youth leaders of the party, the young voters of the country would question their decisions.

Umakant Chaudhari who announced his candidacy for the post of party’s Treasurer, said his candidacy and the candidacy of Sitaula was to end factionalism within the party.

He urged party supporters to help Sitaula win the party presidentship as he had played a crucial role in bringing the Unified CPN-Maoist from the jungle to mainstream of politics.

He also hailed Sitaula for playing a crucial role in making the new constitution.