By IANS
Kathmandu : Nepal’s embattled Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala Wednesday held consultations on the political crisis with Indian ambassador to Nepal Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, as his government faced a showdown with the Maoists in parliament.
Koirala, who was earlier scheduled to fly to his hometown Biratnagar in eastern Nepal to open a medical conference, put the trip on hold to meet Mukherjee, who returned to Kathmandu Monday from New Delhi.
Last week, the cornered Koirala stepped up diplomatic parleys to gauge the international support for his leadership, holding consultations with the British, American, German and Chinese ambassadors.
Mukherjee had been in India last week to receive medical treatment.
Ahead of the meeting with Mukherjee, keeping in mind Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s exhortation to hold the twice-stalled election at the earliest, Koirala Tuesday held talks with the Chief Election Commissioner Bhoj Raj Pokhrel.
However, though he has said he would like to hold the constituent assembly polls by March 2008, Koirala is yet to announce an exact date for the exercise that was to have been held on Nov 22.
Besides holding the election at the earliest, India has also warned Koirala that if he gave in to the Maoist demand to abolish King Gyanendra’s throne through a parliamentary proclamation, it would not be considered legitimate by New Delhi since the current parliament is not an elected one.
All the other envoys Koirala met last week have given him the same message, besides urging him to improve the security situation that worsened after the Dashain festival when abductions and killings started afresh.
However, the government has remained tight-lipped on whether the international community has given him any advice on how to avert the impending crisis.
On Wednesday, parliamentarians for the third consecutive day debated the Maoist demand to abolish monarchy and immediately declare Nepal a republic.
With the rebels refusing to budge from their demand and Koirala ruling out giving in, the battle is heading for a vote.
If the Maoists are defeated in the vote – which they are likely to be – Maoist MP Bamdev Chhatri Wednesday said his party would begin a street movement to implement the demand.
If the guerrillas begin a new protest, the pact between them and the parties, which resulted in peace in Nepal after 10 years’ civil war, could be severely impacted.
Koirala cannot afford a fresh Maoist movement, as it would make it impossible to hold the election.
The more he tarries over the election, the fast his government is losing legitimacy and credibility, both at home and abroad.