Government can consider parties’ proposal: VC Giri
Vice-chairman (VC) of the Council of Ministers, Dr Tulsi Giri, has said that the government could consider the demand of political parties to postpone the municipal polls if the political parties come with a positive attitude.
He added that first and foremost, the parties should make their stance clear and only then the government may agree to postpone the municipal polls.
Speaking at the mass meeting organised in Birtamod of Jhapa on Wednesday, Dr Giri said the political parties must be clear in their motive whether they want dialogue to postpone the municipal polls or postponement of municipal polls for dialogue, according to reports.
Vice Chairman Giri’s statement came a few days after the Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala called on the government to postpone the municipal elections so as to create an environment conducive for dialogue with the parties.
“However, the government can sentence the political leaders to jail if they try to disrupt the municipal polls. We can term them fanatics and send them to jail if they start talking too much,” reports quoted Dr Giri as saying.
Last week, Dr Giri, in a press meet in the capital, had ruled out any consensus with the agitating seven-party alliance on the basis of the 12-point understanding reached between the alliance and Maoists recently.
Claiming that the country’s sovereignty and national integrity wouldn’t be affected as long as the monarchy exists, Dr Giri, who is no 2 in the cabinet, said, “The Feb 1 royal proclamation will not be withdrawn and the dissolved parliament will not be revived.”
Dr Giri further said, the King himself is a supporter of multi-party democracy and has urged everyone time and again to restore peace in the nation and strengthen democracy.
Commenting on the municipal polls slated for February 8 next year Dr Giri said, “Municipal polls were announced as per the King’s wish to run the country democratically,” adding, “In this situation, some political parties are wrongly saying there is autocratic regime in the nation.”
The seven agitating political parties had announced that they will actively boycott the municipal polls.
Dr Giri also said that the top leaders’ statements are inconsistent.
Meanwhile, at least four students aligned with the agitating political parties were injured, two seriously, in scuffles with the police when the students staged a protest demonstration against Dr Giri.
According to reports, police arrested 12 students from the protest program. nepalnews.com pb Dec 29 05
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