Nepal’s five-time prime minister dies at 87

Former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala died at the age of 87 on Saturday.

The octogenarian leader was suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lungs infection for long.

According to physicians involved in his treatment, Koirala breathed his last at 12:10 pm.

He was admitted to Martyr Gangalal National Heart Center, Bansbari, for treatment after his condition deteriorated on last Sunday. He was brought home on Wednesday after his health condition witnessed some improvement.

The improvement, however, remained short-lived.

An emergency cabinet meeting held on Saturday after the demise of Koirala has decided to give public holiday on Sunday to mourn over his death, according to Minister for Information and Communication Shankar Pokharel.

The cabinet meeting also announced to offer state honor to late Koirala and lower half mast of national flag at home and in all Nepal’s diplomatic missions abroad for three days as he also served as the head of the state in the interim period after the success of democratic movement in April, 2006.

The dead body will be kept at Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu from 8 am to 2 pm on Sunday to pay homage to late Koirala.

Tens of thousand party cadres, well wishers and ordinary people are expected join in the funeral procession set to begin after 2 pm from Tripureshwor area in the capital.

Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukharjee, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kunwar are arriving in Kathmandu Sunday morning to take part in his funeral procession.
Senior leaders from People’s Republic of China are also expected join in the funeral process, according to government officials.

Late Koirala in his six decade long political career struggled for the cause of democracy time and again. He began fighting for the cause of democracy against Rana rule in Nepal right after the India got independence from British colonial rule in 1947.

He is also a main architect to bring the Maoists, who were waging armed struggle against the government, into mainstream politics and declare the country a federal democratic republic by abolishing a 240-year old institution of monarchy in 2006.

Condolence messages are pouring in from various countries including from India, China and United States over the death of Koirala.

Issuing a press statement on Saturday, Indian Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh described Koirala as one of Nepal's tallest leaders and a statesman. He said that the death of Koirala marks the end of an era in Nepalese politics

"I have personally had a long association with Koirala and have benefited immensely from his wise counsel and advice not only on issues affecting our bilateral ties but also on matters affecting South Asia as a whole," Dr Singh said in his message.

"He was first and foremost a democrat and his long struggle to usher in democracy in Nepal reached a successful conclusion when he became the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Nepal in 1991," Dr Singh added.

"He was a mass leader and a statesman, whose knowledge and wisdom guided the polity of Nepal in the right direction at critical junctures in the country's history," Dr Singh further said in his message.

- Asian Tribune -