Define total democracy, Koirala told

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, April 9:

Around a dozen senior central working committee members of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) met president of the Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala at the latter’s residence at Maharajgunj today and asked him to define the five-party alliance’s demand for a “total democracy”. NC-D leaders including Bijaya Kumar Gachhedar, Dr Narayan Khadka, Chiranjivi Wagle, Bal Bahadur KC, Shiv Bahadur Khadka, Harinath Bastola, Dr Laxmi Narayan Khadka, Sagar Shumsher Rana, Narendra Bikram Nembang, Chitra Lekha Yadav, Amar Raj Kaini and Sharad Singh Bhandari met the NC strongman.

Talking to this daily, Dr Narayan Khadka said they mainly asked Koirala to define the meaning of “total democracy” and to accommodate other political parties in the agitation launched for the restoration of democracy. He said they also pointed out the need to maintain cordial relations with the King in order to deal with the Maoists. Asked about Koirala’s reaction to their suggestions, Dr Khadka quoted the NC president as saying: “Revival of the dissolved parliament can be one of the definitions of total democracy and goals of the agitation.”

“We suggested that the line of demarcation between the King and political parties be made clear and that parliament be restored with a clear mission of restoring peace and holding elections on time,” Dr Khadka said. The tenure of the House should not be more than one-and-half-years to achieve its mission, he further added.

He said that once the House is restored, the government should be formed with consensus of all parliamentary parties. And his humble request was that “salary and allowances of

parliamentarians not be paid retrospectively”. The Nepali Congress -Democratic leaders are also learnt to have suggested Koirala that issues pertaining to antagonise the monarch should not be raised in the revived parliament. Dr Khadka said they also suggested that the parties

and King reach a consensus to find an amicable solution to the Maoist problem.

They stressed the need for amendments to the Constitution that would ensure “inclusive democracy” with restructuring of the state mechanism.