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| Kathmandu, Sunday May 18, 2003 Jestha 04, 2060. |
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Royal property be made public:
Koirala
Post Report
KATHMANDU, May 17 : Girija Prasad Koirala,
President of Nepali Congress (NC) and former Prime Minister, has demanded that the
property owned by the royal palace should be made public before taking "politically
motivated" actions against the leaders of the political parties. He was reacting to
the action taken by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) that
has summoned Koirala, among others, for interrogation.
Koirala said that he had demanded immediate
release of the report of Judicial Inquiry Commission on Property (JICP) during his latest
audience with the king. "At that moment I had also requested the king that the royal
property had to be made public since the power had transferred from one family to the
other," he added.
The royal wealth, he said, has increased
significantly as the properties of late King Birendra and late Prince Dhirendra also went
to King Gyanendra.
The defiant leader did not give much importance
to his summoning by CIAA. "It’s simply a game to assassin my character, but it
won’t affect me as I have faced many such incidents in my long political
career," he said.
While terming the CIAA’s summoning act as
politically biased and ill intended against the people’s movement, he said that such
a move would not weaken the joint movement of political parties. "Instead, it would
further strengthen our fight for the democracy."
The CIAA is taking actions in the
recommendations of the JICP report. In the first phase, the commission has enlisted names
of 40 persons, who are to be interrogated about their personal property and the sources of
earnings.
A constitutional body like CIAA, Koirala said,
"should not be politicised." He also said that the establishment of a special
CIAA cell within the Ministry of Law and Justice was behind-the-curtain game against the
political parties.
Koirala, replying to a question, said that he
had not decided whether he would appear before CIAA for interrogation. "I will take
the decision only on the date," he said. He has been called to be present on May 19
at the CIAA cell in Singha Durbar.
Koirala also gave a copy of his property
statement to the media persons. In the statement, Koirala has mentioned that he owns a
little more than two ropanis of land in Biratnagar and a Toyota Land Cruiser station
wagon. The total worth of his property is claimed as Rs 1.5 million for the vehicle and Rs
15,000 for the land.
Meanwhile, Shailaja Acharya, a central committee
member of NC has warned the government that taking action against Koirala could further
deepen the quagmire that the country is already in. "CIAA’s action smacks of
political bias, which would raise doubts on the institutions’ credibility," she
said.
Nepal Students’ Union, NC’s student
wing, has also condemned the CIAA action against the "commander" of the on-going
movement against the king’s "regressive move." The strong- worded press
statement by the students has also demanded that the king’s properties should also be
made public.
Free Student Union Council, also close to NC, in
a statement said that the King would be popular if the property of the royal palace is
made public from the time of King Tribhuvan, the grandfather of King Gyanendra. "The
action taken by CIAA against the pro-democratic political leaders is ill intended, "
the release said.
The JICP report has recommended thousands of
names to be interrogated in relation to the source of their earning. The CIAA has said
that it is initiating the process with 40 people who top the JICP list of recommendations.
According CIAA sources, in the current list
there are 30 politicians, six police officers and four bureaucrats. Among the politicians
22 are from Nepali Congress, four from CPN (UML) and three from Rastriya Prajatantra
Party.
Meanwhile, Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary
of the CPN-UML said that the government is merely trying to foil the joint movement
through CIAA. "We also are against corruption and wish to see a corruption free
society. But the intention behind this action is filled with conspiracy," Nepal said.
He, however, asserted that the government would
not be successful in its mission.
Similarly, Amik Sherchan, president of the
Peoples’ Front Nepal said that the latest move by the Commission was politically
motivated. "This is going to further strengthen the movement launched by the
political parties," Sherchan said.
He also urged that everybody including the King
should be transparent in property. "Who is going to probe the King’s property.
If King wants the leaders of political parties to be transparent, he also should be ready
to be transparent," Sherchan said. "No one is above the law."
Meanwhile, Prakash Chandra Lohani, senior leader
of Rastriya Prajantra Party (RPP), said that he was surprised to see his name implicated
in the current action by CIAA. "I have not received any letter from the CIAA."
In fact, I would be quite happy if the
government publishes my property submitted to the Judicial Inquiry Commission on Property
(JICP) a year ago for the knowledge of the people, he said.
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