Biratnagar, Oct. 25

Former Prime Minister and president of Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala Saturday said that CPN-Maoist was playing up the issue of army integration by forgetting the spirit of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

"The essence of the CPA was to run the state affairs by forging consensus, coordination, peace and unity," Koirala said, adding, "but the Maoists were playing up the army integration issue alone."

While inaugurating the party revival campaign in Biratnagar, Koirala said it was his duty at this juncture to alert the Maoist party. "Everything included in the peace agreement should be implemented," he said, "army integration is an aspect of this."

Insisting that the international community was supporting Nepal in view of the "formula" it adopted for the peace process, Koirala said, "they were supporting the politics of consensus."

The leader of the main opposition objected to the remarks by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ that the "parliamentary system had failed" and said, "Prachandaji is now talking in twists and turns, I object to his assessments that parliamentary system had failed."

The campaign started today was intended to remind Prachanda about this, he said. "Maoists appear like they have forgotten the people, there cannot be a state without the people."

Koirala asked a barrage of questions, "How did the Maoist come this far? What role did the Congress play? Why were the roles played?" and said "Prachandaji should not forget this."

He criticised the Prime Minister as playing with words to entangle the people. "But he himself was getting enmeshed in those words," he added.

"Congress came thus far because of its history," Koirala said, adding, "No one can defeat it."

Koirala recalled having worked with Prachanda for three and a half years and asked him not to forget the past relationship. Talking about "YCL excesses such as entering the parliament with weapons," Koirala said, "NC cannot remain silent about them. Prachanda should understand this."

He instructed party workers to go to villages with the message of peace and save their revolutionary images. "From today onwards, no one is a leader in Congress, everyone is a cadre, including myself."

Senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba blamed CPN-Maoist, which rose to power on the planks of the peace agreement, was fanning anarchy and violence. "The Maoist party has adopted the policy of tormenting the people and nourishing its cadres," Deuba said.

Acting president of the party Sushil Koirala said there was no basis to trust the Maoists because they had not "returned land, houses and property" they captured.

Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel urged the Maoists to abide by the peace agreement.

Leaders, including Mahesh Acharya, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Tirtha Ram Dangol, Gyanendra Karki, Dr. Minendra Rijal, Dr. Shekhar Koirala, Gagan Thapa, and Sujata Koirala, spoke at the function chaired by NC Morang president Amrit Aryal.