Patriarch of Nepal's politics Koirala dead

Shirish B Pradhan
Kathmandu, March 20 (PTI) Nepal's five-time Prime Minister
Girija Prasad Koirala, a close friend of India and architect
of the landmark peace deal with Maoists that ended a bloody
decade-long insurgency, died here on Saturday of multiple
organ failure at the age of 85.
Koirala died at 12.10 pm local time at his daughter and
Deputy Premier Sujata Koirala's residence in Mandikhatar on
the outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepali Congress Vice President
Gopal Man Shrestha said.
The veteran leader, who was the President of Nepali
Congress which is a key constituent of the ruling Communist
Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist)-led coalition, was
considered close to the Indian leadership across the political
spectrum.
He was suffering from lung infection, respiratory problem,
diarrhoea and had a low hemoglobin level. He had been staying
at his daughter's residence after he was discharged from
Martyr Ganga Lal Heart Centre here following some improvement
in his condition on Wednesday.
However, his condition deteriorated on Friday after a bout
of diarrhoea and he slipped into coma Saturday morning.
Koirala's body will be put at Dasharath Stadium on Monday
morning for people to pay their homage and his last rites will
be performed later in the day's afternoon.
The former Premier had played a pivotal role in the peace
process, Nepal's transition to democracy and bringing Maoists
to the mainstream politics three years ago.
Koirala was instrumental in the signing of the 12-point
agreement between the then Maoist rebels and seven political
parties in November 2005 in New Delhi, which was aimed at
toppling monarchy and restoring democracy in the country.
After this, Maoists joined the mainstream politics in
2006, ending the decade-long armed conflict that left 16,000
people dead.
Born in 1925 in Indian state Bihar, Koirala became Prime
Minister for the first time in 1991 after his Nepali Congress
party secured majority in the 205-member House of
Representatives.
He began his political career as a trade unionist when he
joined the Nepal Mazdoor Congress in 1948 and played an active
role in the first labour movement of Nepal the same year.
Koirala's eldest brother Matrika Prasad Koirala became
the country's Prime Minister in 1951 while his another sibling
B P Koirala was the Premier in the first elected government of
Nepal during 1959-60.
G P Koirala was arrested after King Mahendra staged a
coup by dissolving the first democratically elected government
led by Nepali Congress in 1960. After his release in 1967,
Koirala went in exile to India where he stayed till 1980, when
King Birendra declared Referendum to choose between revised
partyless Panchayat system and multi-party system.
Koirala was the Nepali Congress General secretary from
1975 to 1991. He was elected President of Nepali Congress in
1994 during the ninth general convention of Nepali Congress.
He also became acting head of the state briefly after monarchy
was abolished in May 2008.
It was Koirala who proposed the motion to abolish
monarchy through voting during the first meeting of the
Constituent Assembly on May 28, 2008, which was endorsed by an
overwhelming majority in the 601-member House. PTI SBP
KAB