Koirala asks party activists to strike back if poked
Contradicting his earlier calls for restraint among the political parties,
Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala on Friday directed his
party activists to retaliate against any violent activities of the
Maoists.
"If they (the Maoists) continue with their violent activities then you
have to also retaliate against it," reports quoted him as telling his
party activists in a meeting in Sauraha of Chitwan district.
With this uncustomary remark, Koirala was clearly hinting at the
possibility of Maoist activists turning to violence in the upcoming Free
Students' Union (FSU) election.
Continuing his tirade against the presidential system the parliamentary
party of the Unified CPN (Maoist) proposed in its draft statute few days
ago, the former prime minister said the system will only strengthen
authoritarianism in the country and hence his party would never accept it.
He also said that the party will not let the country adopt the system as
it is detrimental for the future of the country.
Koirala has all along been arguing that the new constitution must adopt
the parliamentary system because political parties "were familiar with
it".
Koirala is in Chitwan to attend Tharu Rastriya Mahotsav that is starting
with much fanfare in the tourist hot spot of Sauraha in Chitwan district
from today.
Tharu Welfare Assembly, the organiser of the event, said that the two day
festival will showcase indigenous Tharu culture and lifestyle with huge
participation of Tharus from the region. nepalnews.com ag Feb 27 09
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