KATHMANDU, Oct 5: Nepali Congress leader Sujata Koirala has said forging a political alliance against another alliance would not be to the benefit of the country.

She suggested the Nepali Congress, which is at present preparing to form a broader democratic alliance after the formation of the leftist alliance, to work for strengthening the intra-party unity than to work towards creating an alliance.

Talking to journalists at her residence at Mandikhatar on Thursday, leader Koirala said,” The Nepali Congress should not make any kind of alliance – leftist or rightist. Rather it should guide both.”

The NC central committee member, Koirala, said since the Nepali Congress is a big party it should focus its attention on taking the country ahead on the path of unity and consensus than worrying over what the communists are up to after their alliance.

Also the former Foreign Affairs Minister, Koirala said Nepal’s relations with India and China should be kept at an even keel. RSS

BIRATNAGAR: Nepali Congress leader Sujata Koirala has argued for deferring the proposed Constituent Assembly (CA) elections date to acoomodate the demands of the dissenting political parties’ demand.

Speaking at a program in Biratnagar, Koirala argued that the major political parties should consider it if it brings the dissenting 33-party alliance into the election process.

Stressing on the need to hold CA elections in consensus, Sujata expressed astonishment as to why the lead political parties were unwilling to hold talks with the dissident political parties.

“So, all opposing forces should be brought into consensus by deferring the poll date and holding round-table,” Koirala said.

In a different note, Koirala expressed reservations against the recommendations for the party’s candidate for the upcoming CA elections made by party’s district and regional committees.

Terming these recommendations as wrongful, Koirala expressed fear that they will further weaken the party’s position in the second constituent assemblye elections.

Sujata Koirala is often noted for quick decision and frank note of dissent against own and other political party leaders. Nepali Reporter’s Rishi Dhamala recently talked with this Nepali Congress’s influential women leader on the ongoing efforts of political parties to hold CA elections. Here are the excerpts:

Does Congress think that CA elections are possible without CPN Maoist’s participation?

Central committee meeting of the party is scheduled for next week and this meeting is expected to come up with party’s official stand on the issue. But in my personal opinion, I think that all the parties should be participating in the CA elections as the only purpose of the election is to draft the constitution. And such an task should be done in consensus. The election cannot be held through the consensus of four parties alone and therefore all parties should be taken into confidence. This will ensure free, fair and impartial elections.

What is Congress’ plan to bring disgruntled parties into confidence?

Party President Sushil Koirala is presently in talks with all those disgruntled political parties. Objections and demands of those parties should be identified and efforts should be made to address them for paving way to their participation in the CA elections. Decisions taken by the major political parties by keeping any of the political party cannot be successful in holding CA elections.
Aren’t four parties doing all the things around?

Yes, they are doing. But they haven’t succeeded in moving ahead. Nepali Congress should move ahead by incorporating consensus, cooperation and unity. Continuous efforts are necessary for success and Congress should not leave any stone unturned.

So Nepal can’t have CA elections if disgruntled don’t join it?

Well, its not like that. They will definitely join elections. They are in talks with the government and i have heard that these talks are moving in positive direction as they have shown greater flexibility in their demands. But their talks with four parties have been not positive comparatively. There is a need to figure out issues that are not compatible between them and efforts should be made to address them. There is a force within the four party that does not wants these disgruntled political parties to join CA election.

Which of the four parties might be the one?

When they hold talks with the talks are positive but when they hold talks with four parties on the same issue, the talks don’t yield positive results. Why? There is some conspirator within the four parties and we are trying to nail it down. These conspiracies cannot move any further, it has to be stopped to secure democracy.

Can Congress bring Maoist into confidence when it will lead HLPM?

So far Congress has not been able to take appropriate decision due to lack of discussion on the issue in the central committee meeting. Two three leaders have been running the party and this trend has seriously damaged party’s image and standing on important issues. We are trying to figure out power centers within the party that avert central committee meetings.

Though party president Koirala is presently is in talks with the disgruntled political parties, the efforts are not sufficient. The party should officially form a team to hold such talks. The team should represent members with independent views so as to avert domination of a single group.

The HLPM succeeded in bringing Upendra Yadav led group in CA elections?

Well I was confident that their group will join. Yadav’s group and the four parties have lot of common grounds and it was not difficult to address their demands. But the challenge is to bring the CPN Maoist and it allies into confidence because they have lots of differences.

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) leader Sujata Koirala on Sunday left here for Bangladesh to discuss problems of South Asian women and agenda of a three-day International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP).

She is the vice chairperson of ICAPP women committee.

Talking to media persons before her departure to Bangladesh, she said during her stay there, she will call on Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed and opposition party leader Begam Khalida Zia and discuss about the problems facing the Asian women.

A three-day ICAAP International Conference is going to be held in Bangladesh with a view to increasing women’s participation in the Asian political parties, making them financially secured and socially and politically empowered.

She will call on the Bangladeshi Prime Minister on Monday morning.

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress leader Sujata Koirala has said that CA elections in the country are not possible if the CPN-Maoist and other parties boycott.

At an interaction organized by Reporters Club Dang Chapter here today, Koirala said all parties should be taken into confidence to ensure thier participation in the elections.

She also said that the top leaders of the major political parties are to blame if the polls were not conducted by mid-December.

KATHMANDU: Saying that the formation of the Chief Justice-led government would challenge the rule of law and principle of power separations, some Nepali Congress central committee members have started a campaign to stop the formation of the CJ-led government.

However, NC top leaders have already agreed to form the CJ-led government.

NC central committee members including Pradip Giri, Sujata Koirala, Gagan Thapa and others have in public challenged the four-party decision to form the CJ-led government while some NC leaders are accusing the party top brass of failing to offer a political option instead of the CJ-led government.

Some two dozen NC central leaders including Koirala have started campaign against the party leadership saying that formation of the CJ-led government would be against the norms of democracy, independent judiciary and principle of power separations.

They also held discussions with party President Sushil Koirala this morning and urged the party chief to give the government leadership to the sitting CJ only after calling him to resign from the post of CJ.

In response, Koirala assured the leaders to form the CJ-led government by not going against the spirit of democracy and principle of power separations.

The disgruntled leaders are also scheduled to meet party Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel and senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba.