Nawalpur, December 2

Nepali Congress General Secretary Shashank Koirala has said the ongoing parliamentary and provincial elections are a referendum where the people will have to choose one from among the democratic and communist political systems.

For the elections, the CPN-UML and the CPN-Maoist Centre have forged a left alliance, while the NC has joined hands with the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal and some other fringe parties to form a democratic alliance.

The first phase of the elections was held in 32 districts on November 26, while the second phase will be held in 45 districts on December 7.

“The ongoing elections are a kind of referendum on communist and democratic political systems,” said Koirala in an exclusive interview with The Himalayan Times in his constituency today. “The left alliance has announced that it would implement communism within a decade, so we take this poll as a referendum and the people should understand it.”

When asked whether it was possible to impose a communist system in this day and age of globalisation, Koirala said: “If they form a government, they will misuse state power for partisan interest, but the NC will work in the best interests of the people.”

Koirala also expressed confidence that the NC would emerge as the largest party in the elections. “I had some doubts in the beginning, but now we are confident about it given the overwhelming support we are getting from the people across the country,” he said, adding the NC would win with two-thirds majority.  “Two-third majority is not practically possible.”

He also claimed that the NC would lead the new government formed by the democratic alliance, including the RPP and the RJP, which would bring stability and prosperity in the country.

Koirala also claimed that the left alliance’s victory would result in political instability in the country.

The major electoral agendas for the NC, according to Koirala, are industrialisation, modernisation of agriculture, construction of roads and foreign investment, among other things. “Foreign investment will come only during the NC leadership,” he said.