Regmi should be ready to make sacrifices like political parties did: Koirala

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala has reiterated that the chairman of the Interim Election Council Khilaraj Regmi should be ready to resign from the post of Chief Justice if that action ensures the inclusion of dissenting parties in the Constituent Assembly polls.

Koirala opined that the IEC Chairman should take the measures if that would address the demands of CPN Maoist and the Madheshi Janadhikar Forum Nepal and paves way for their participation in the purpoted CA elections while speaking to a delegation of journalists led by Reporters Club Nepal’s President Rishi Dhamala.

“If the present status quo resolves and if the dissenting political parties express willingness to participate in the elections, than he (Regmi) should be ready to resign from the post of Chief Justice,” Koirala said adding that he had also proposed this solutions in Sunday’s meeting of the High Level Political Mechanism.

“Though my name was being picked for the Prime Minister I gave it up in favor of national interest. The nation right now needs some of us to make sacrifice. He (Regmi) should also be ready to make the sacrifices,” Koirala said stating that even political parties had also made sacrifices while forming the government in his leadership.

Responding to the UCPN Maoists recent demands to revise the 11 and 25 point agreements, Koirala said that the propositions were indicative of their intentions to foil CA elections. ” We should oblige with the agreements reached. Its not a good practice to fumble with the constitution time and again.”

Reiterating that the political parties had already agreed on 491 seat CA election and on provisioning threshold rules in the elections, Koirala ruled out the possibility to amend that understanding as proposed by the UCPN Maoist and the Madheshi Morcha recently.

Koirala said that even the 491 seats CA will be a burden for the national economy while denying the possibility to revise that understanding. Along with he defended the decision to impose 1 percent vote bank threshold laws arguing that such a step would promote the growth of small political parties.

He accused the Maoists of creating hurdles of threshold laws even though parties like the CPN Maoist and Upendra Yadav led Madheshi Janadhikar Forum Nepal have not raised concerns about that.

Koirala warned that differing the CA elections further would further deteriorate the existing condition.

On the occasion, Koirala ruled out coalition with any political parties in the upcoming CA elections and said that the party might enter understanding with a political party depending on the circumstances.

Speaking on the occasion, Dhamala urged Koirala and lead party politicians to expedite process to ensure CA elections in November. He said that the Club would continue this initiative while handing over a memorandum to Koirala.

Dhamala urged Koirala to move ahead by taking into confidence all dissenting voices while stressing on the need to hold CA elections in conducive environment.