NC cadres protest rebel bullying Kantipur Report KATHMANDU, Nov 2 - About 40 district presidents of the Nepali Congress (NC) party have urged Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to forcefully raise the issue of continuous intimidation, abductions and extortion by Maoists at the district level during the next summit talks. Speaking at a consultation meeting held by the prime minister at his official residence at Baluwatar Wednesday, the heads of the party's district units said the situation has not improved at all at the local level despite agreements one-after-another signed by the Maoists at the center. Most of the district party chiefs suggested that the prime minister ensure the Maoists implement the agreements and pacts immediately. They claimed that the Maoists were still demonstrating arms and keeping their so-called courts active in the districts. They gave the example of Maoist action against party district-level leaders in Kalikot a couple of days ago. In response, Koirala said he would take up the issue with the Maoist leaders immediately, according to Tara Man Gurung, Sankhuwasabha district president of the party. Koirala was quick to ask the district chiefs to return to their districts immediately, Gurung said. Koirala, at the meeting, informed that the ongoing peace process would yield an expected outcome soon and that the much-awaited summit talks would be held within a few days. "At the upcoming talks, the modalities of arms management will be settled, and with that, the peace process will reach a conclusive stage," said Jagadishwor Narsingh KC, NC Nuwakot district president. According to one participant, Koirala hinted that the government and the Maoists have arrived at a conclusion over most of the issues including arms. The district presidents also drew the attention of the prime minister to the ongoing protests by temporary school teachers in most of the districts. They appraised Koirala of the failure of the government to start development projects in the districts, most of it due to Maoist disruptions. 'Make party's stance clear on monarchy first' District heads of the party urged Prime Minister Koirala to make the party's stance on monarchy clear before the party launches its election campaign for the constituent assembly. The district party presidents said the party cannot go to the people with its position on monarchy, the hottest issue in current politics, unclear. They claimed the Nepali Congress may suffer a lot in the election once it is interpreted by the people as a royalist party, said one of the participants in Wednesday's consultation meet held by Koirala. "We urge the party president that we should first be clear about our views on monarchy," said Jagadishwor Narsingh KC, Nuwakot district president of the party. Koirala, however, was against the idea of making the party's position on monarchy clear before polls. "For now, the king's position will be as it is but the people will decide what position they want to give the monarchy, or if they want to abolish it," a participant quoted Koirala as saying. Koirala said he was, however, ready to hold internal party discussions on the monarchy's position. Posted on: 2006-11-01 22:20:21 (Server Time)