Koirala wants to be elected by parliament

KATHMANDU: Nepal's veteran politician G P Koirala, named by opposition parties to head a new government, on Wednesday said he wanted to be elected as Prime Minister by Parliament after its reinstatement on Friday.

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Shiv Shanker Mukherjee called on the 81-year-old leader and discussed the current political developments in the Kingdom, sources at the Indian Embassy said.

India is planning an economic package for Nepal which is passing through severe economic crisis due to the three-week long general strike and ongoing insurgency.

Sekhar Koirala, leader of Nepali Congress (NC) said that his uncle G P Koirala wants that he be elected Prime Minister in Parliament rather than picked up by the King for the post.

Now Parliament exists and it has its own procedure to elect Prime Minister, he said.

 The veteran politician was named to head the new government by the seven-party alliance yesterday after King Gyanendra announced restoration of parliament he had dissolved in 2002.

As Maoists, who have rejected the King's proclamation, on Wednesday blocked key highways in various parts of the country, G P Koirala urged them to withdraw their protests.

 "I call upon CPN-Maoists to withdraw their protests including, economic blockade targeting Kathmandu and district headquarters, as it would cause inconvenience to the people, he said in a statement.

Meanwhile in Delhi, CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury said the Maoists in Nepal have decided to suspend their agitation till Parliament takes a decision on holding elections to the Constituent Assembly.

Yechury, who has been in touch with top Maoist leaders  as well as leaders of the seven-party alliance, said the Maoists conveyed to him their latest decision.

He said the Maoists had on Wednesday decided to continue with their agitation due to their "genuine apprehensions" that the process of ushering in of democracy could be subverted as it had happened in the past.

The CPI(M) leader  said Nepali Congress leader, Girija Prasad Koirala, who has been chosen by the alliance as the new Prime Minister, talked to him and assured him that it would be the priority of the new government to implement the three-point agreement reached between the alliance and the Marxists.

The three points are elections to the Constituent  Assembly, agenda to implement the 12 point agreement with the Maoists and officially inviting Maoists for discussions.