Birgunj, November 16:

Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala said today that his party would not remain a mute spectator if the Maoists drafted the constitution without taking the parties into confidence.

“Constitution written without heeding suggestions of other parties would be worthless,” Koirala said at a press meet organised by the Parsa chapter of the Nepal Press Union in Parsa today.

The PM said the NC would launch a nationwide movement in a month if Prachanda did not address nine-point charter of demands floated by the NC.

“We will launch a peaceful movement if the Maoists do not return seized land and assets to owners.” The NC chief added that the Maoists’ idea of integrating the PLA combatants into the Nepal Army was flawed. Koirala said his party was forced to remain in the opposition after the Maoists gave up politics of consensus.

The former prime minister blasted the Maoist leadership for speaking against the Westminster

system. “In terms of democracy, Nepali Congress will not make a compromise with any force.”

Blaming the Maoists for not giving due importance to the constitution-making process, he said, “Role played by the people of Birgunj in the 1950 movement will be of no use if they fail to launch a movement to speed up the constitution-making process.”

Nepali Congress leaders Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Prakash Sharan Mahat, Ananda Dhungana and Lila Koirala also attended the programme.