Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, March 12:

Even as Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala is yet to decide on joining the alliance, which has NC (D) and CPN-UML as new constituents, chairman of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP), Narayan Man Bijukche, today flayed the launch of the self-styled five-party alliance comprising NC (D) and CPN-UML as gross violation of the code of conduct reached among the four-party alliance constituents. “How can anyone in the four-party alliance ever expect to enter into partnership with those parties which had contributed towards fostering regression in the past?” Bijuckhe asked. “That violates the code of conduct.”

Saying the future course of action would be decided by a meeting of the four-party alliance within a few days, Bijukche came down harshly on CPN-UML in particular and NC (D) in general and said “no parties which had found some let up in regression could be accepted as partners.” When drawn attention at the instance of NC and Janamorcha Nepal and Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandidevi) signing alongside CPN-UML and NC (D) leaders, Bijukche said they ought not to have signed the statement at all.

He also said the issue of taking NC (D) as partner had figured earlier too but “we never decided to take it for reasons best known to all.” He said there were a plenty of questions asked before going with the new five-party alliance. “They (UML) have been saying there had been let up in regression which we never share. They can’t have the cake and eat it too,” Bijukche further said promising four-party meeting in a few days to review the unfolding scenario. Harsh reaction from Bijukche come at a time when a section of NC led by its joint general secretary Govind Raj Joshi is trying to shoot down the idea of another section of the leaders to join the alliance comprising NC (D) and UML.While Joshi and others who are not in detention have launched a peaceful movement from March 16 before the party jumps into indefinite sit-in protests from March 20, the self-styled five-party alliance has its own series of protests. Meanwhile, what is not at all clear surrounding the NC is whether the group led by Joshi, which has so far issued six statements purportedly signed by president Koirala, has approval from the latter to launch a movement of its own or Koirala approves the new five-party alliance with Deuba and UML as new partners.