Kathmandu, April 17, 2008

The Nepali Congress today decided not to immediately quit the coalition government.

The party also summoned a Central Working Committee meeting on April 24 to assess the party’s dismal performance in the Constituent Assembly election and plot future strategies, including whether to stay in the government or not.

The NC, which was the largest party in the country, suffered a big blow in the April 10 polls, and is trailing behind the CPN-Maoist in the second position. All the central members have been asked to compulsorily attend the April 24 meeting, which could continue for a few days, according to Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, the chief of the party’s election publicity committee. He told reporters at the party headquarters today that the party had also directed its district chairpersons and candidates to furnish detailed reports on the election by April 22.

“The central committee meeting will take decision on crucial issues, including whether or not to stay in the government, after minutely reviewing the developments before and after the election,” Dr Mahat added. The decision to this effect was taken during an informal meeting of the party leaders available in the capital at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar this morning. Party president and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala chaired the meeting.

Asked if the party leadership was under pressure to quit following the dismal election results, he said, “Leaders hold divergent views.”

Hurdles in declaring republic?

Kathmandu, April 17, 2008

Girija Prasad Koirala-led government cannot declare the country a republic, though a clause in the Interim Constitution states that the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly will turn the country into a federal republic, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Narendra Bikram Nembang told this daily today.

He said the onus is on the new government to be formed on the basis of a new mandate given by the people through the CA polls to give birth to a federal republic.

According to Article 159 of the Interim Constitution, the cabinet shall table a proposal for the formation of a republic during the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly. “As far as I know, this (Koirala-led) government cannot take such a decision,” Nembang said. “As the people have given a new mandate through the election, only a new government shall table the proposal to this effect in the CA,” Nembang added.

However, the CA will have to deal with a few crucial issues in the first meeting before endorsing the republican agenda. It needs to nominate 26 new members to give full shape to the Constituent Assembly and form a new government after administering oath of office to CA members.

Keeping these things in view, it will be quite difficult for the first meeting of the CA to abolish the 240-year-old monarchy.