Don't recognise municipal polls: Koirala

President of Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala has urged the international communities including the United Nations (UN) not to recognize the municipal polls, terming it as a conspiracy of the autocratic government.

"I urge the international community, including the UN, not to give any recognition to the polls," former Prime Minister Koirala said in an appeal issued on Tuesday, adding, " The elections have no social, political or legal basis."

The government is holding municipal polls on February 8 despite the call from seven political parties to actively boycott it and the Maoist threats to disrupt it.

He further said that election of the constituent assembly and an all-party government is a must to resolve present crisis dogging the country.

In his appeal, Koirala also said that an interim government with the consent of the Maoist is essential to resolve present crisis and restore permanent peace in the country.

Stating that the agitation of the seven-party alliance is directed towards welfare of the general people, the NC chief added, "Our movement would stop only after the restoration of complete democracy through constituent assembly elections."

Koirala termed recent curbs of the government in civil liberties as the evidence of the autocratic regime.

The government imposed day-long curfew in the capital on January 20 to foil the mass meeting of the seven party alliance and declared prohibitory order in various parts of the capital and put top leaders of the alliance under house arrest and arrested hundreds of people from peaceful demonstration of the seven political parties.

He has also requested not to weaken the mass movement for the greed of power, vested interests and personal prejudices.

Koirala urged all to participate in the in the mass movement launched by the seven-party alliance saying it is aimed for the welfare of the general people.

Issuing a press statement on Tuesday, former Prime Minister and senior Nepali Congress leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai has urged His Majesty King Gyanendra to cancel municipal polls slated on February 8, take initiatives for a dialogue with the parliamentary parties and, among others, issue a Royal Proclamation which immediately ends the direct rule assumed on February 1, 2005.

Earlier, issuing a press statement issued on Monday after he was released from house arrest on Sunday, Koirala said that there was no room for compromise with the King “at a time when the King is directly ruling the country by seizing people’s rights.

The seven agitating political parties are protesting against the February 1 royal takeover of the last year. nepalnews.com pb Jan 24 06