Koirala renews call to opposition for dialogue

21 Feb 2015, Kathmandu - Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has renewed his call to the opposition alliance, led by UCPN (Maoist) , to withdraw its agitation and return to talks while assuring that the new constitution would be promulgated as per the spirit of the Interim Constitution.

In a message issued on Friday to make public

the progress report of the government’s one year in the office, the PM also made it clear that the process initiated to put the disputed issues of constitution writing to vote would automatically end once formal talks resume.

Reading out the statement on behalf of the PM, Information Minister Minendra Rijal said: “I ask, especially to UCPN (Maoist) and Madhes-based parties, to join dialogue, remaining committed to the spirit of national unity, consensus, coordination and reconciliation.”

The statement from the government comes at a time when the opposition alliance is preparing to organise nationwide protests against the decision of the ruling parties to form the Questionnaire Committee to settle the contentious issues of statute writing through a vote in the Constituent Assembly. Though the CA has been adjourned sine die to give the ruling and the opposition parties another chance for consensus building, there has not been any progress on the talks front so far. The opposition has demanded that the prime minister should issue a promissory, pledging that the national charter would be adopted based on consensus among the parties. This is PM’s third formal call to the opposition for talks.

In the development sector, the government claims that the country made “major economic achievements” in the past year. According to the progress report, the country’s economy grew by 5 percent and inflation dipped 3 percent after the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML formed the coalition government.

Agreements with India on hydropower development have been the crowning achievement of the government, PM Koirala stated. On the diplomatic front, the PM said the government not only hosted the 18th Saarc Summit in Kathmandu but also succeeded in maintaining balanced relations with the neighbouring countries. The 148-point progress report has also put the formation of two transitional justice mechanisms—Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission on Enforced Disappearances—as a major achievement.

The formation of these commissions showed that the government was putting in serious efforts and taking important and equally tough decisions through consensus, the statement said.

Backed by UML, the second largest party in the Assembly, and other smaller parties, Koirala was elected the head of the coalition government on 10 February 2014 with the mandate of holding local elections within six months after the promulgation of new constitution within one year. The government, however, could not realise these two goals despite getting over two-third majority in the 601-member Assembly.

Noting that he and his Cabinet were greatly disappointed for failing to realise the popular mandate on time, PM said his government will do its best to speed up the constitution writing process.