On Koirala’s request, PM Dahal said the retirement of NA generals was through a due process. [break]
During a meeting, held at Koirala’s residence in Maharajgunj on Thursday, PM Dahal said he was in favor of providing opportunity to new faces rather than extending tenure of those generals who matured for retirement.
“The retirement of generals was a normal process. The government didn’t feel it was urgent to extend the tenure of the retiring generals,” the Prime Minister’s press advisor Om Sharma quoted Dahal as telling Koirala during the meeting.
Prime Minister Dahal also urged NC President Koirala not to make the retirement of generals a political issue.
Among the brigadier generals who received retirement were Pawan Jung Pande, Narendra Rawal, Kumar Budhathoki, Nara Bahadur Kandel, Pradip Bikram Rana, Raju Pratap KC, Ramesh Bishta and Shiva Poudel.
The government didn’t extend the tenure of the retiring generals despite a recommendation made by NA chief Rookmangud Katawal some two and a half months ago.
During the meeting, NC president Koirala also rebuffed the Prime Minister’s request to join the coalition government. The Prime Minister told Koirala that the NC’s participation in the government would accelerate the constitution writing process.
“Girijababu said Nepali Congress does not see it is time to join the government,” said an NC leader.
He also said Koirala, however, assured Dahal that the NC will cooperate with the government wholeheartedly.
Prime Minister Dahal, who is also Chairman of the ruling Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) solicited NC President Koirala’s support to enforce the government’s decision to declare highways, health and academic institutions and public places strike-free zones.
A meeting of the cabinet on Wednesday decided to ask not to call any bandhas (general strike) within health and academic institutions, public places and highways, so as to avoid possible obstructions in framing the new constitution.
ghanashyam@myrepublica.com
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