Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, April 26:

Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala today said efforts are currently underway

to make the political alliance agree to a one-point agenda as part of the longstanding bid to correct the political process. While the agenda is the reinstatement of the House of Representatives, he did not specify how long will it take before it is agreed upon. A joint team representing pro-parliamentary forces has been working out a common agenda and a demarche of the parliament for some time now. “We can expect complete restoration of democracy. This will be possible once we press the demand for the reinstatement of the House of Representatives,” Koirala told sitting and outgoing MPs at the party office. He said that “while the King has refused to listen to us”, there is a groundwell of international support for the restoration of democracy. He also said that even foreigners believe that House reinstatement alone is the most suitable remedy. Conceding that working in tandem with rather disparate political forces was a tough job, Koirala expressed optimism that the democratic forces wanted success by all means.

“The King would have already restored parliament had we insisted on its revival earlier,” Koirala told party leaders. The NC stringman, who has been at the receiving end time and again, declined to be carried away by any offer of forming a government, saying: “I will neither refer it nor listen to anyone on this issue. No one should fall in a trap.” Dropping hints that he has been in touch with members of the diplomatic community and has been discussing

the political imbroglio, Koirala claimed that even “they know that the King does not do what he promises.” Koirala expressed reservations at the way the King went on to present the political parties in a bad light in his speech at the Asian-African summit in Jakarta. He pointed out at the inconsistency whereby the King has been blaming the political parties for openly seeking international support in favour of democracy and also seeking international cooperation himself. Koirala said the new movement from May 1 will have enhanced international support, “something which all must take note of.” Earlier, Koirala said the King has held the nation on ransom and embarked on an unconstitutional path. He said all tasks undertaken by incumbent government were unconstitutional.