By Xinhua,
Kathmandu : Nepali Congress (NC) has said the party will propose Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to take the post of the first president of the country, The Kathmandu Post reported on Saturday.
“He (Koirala) has brought the country to this point, successfully leading the movement and completing the task of turning the country into a federal democratic republic,” General Secretary of NC Ram Baran Yadav said at an interaction organized by Reporters’ Club Nepal in Kathmandu on Friday.
“Therefore, let’s show him respect and make him president of this country,” he added.
He vehemently opposed the idea of selecting a civil society member as head of state. “It should be a leader from a political party and we can thus maintain a balance of power among the major political parties,” Yadav was quoted by the daily as saying.
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) is, however, opposed to the idea. Maoist leader and Minister for Local Development Dev Prasad Gurung rejected the idea of Koirala as president.
“Koirala cannot be accepted as president as he is in active politics and he does not want just a ceremonial role. He wants to exercise the power to mobilize the military in an emergency and other executive powers,” Gurung said, adding, “given the way he has been making several moves in recent days his candidacy for president is unacceptable.”
He said that the CPN-Maoists are expecting Koirala’s resignation by June 11. “If he doesn’t clear the way, we (Maoist ministers) will resign from the cabinet,” he added.