Short biography of girija prasad koirala
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As the leader of the Nepali Congress Party, he worked to balance the complex demands of democracy, monarchy, and the Maoist insurgency.
25 April 2011.
Girija Prasad Koirala
Nepalese politician (1924–2010)
Nepal RatnaGirija Prasad Koirala (Nepali: गिरिजाप्रसाद कोइरालाListenⓘ; 4 July 1924 – 20 March 2010),[2][3] affectionately known as Girija Babu,[4] was a Nepalese politician.
He was the most prominent and consequential political leader in Nepal from 2001 to 2008. Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
Britannica. This led to the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist)-led coalition coming to power in the elections that followed.[11]
Second and third term
Main article: Second Girija Prasad Koirala cabinet
Koirala took over as prime minister from Surya Bahadur Thapa following the collapse of the coalition government led by Thapa.
From his early involvement in labor movements to his leadership in overthrowing autocratic systems, Koirala’s impact on Nepali politics is undeniable. He was involved in trade unions and workers’ rights early in his career. The Kathmandu Post. 9 February 2016.
He headed the Nepali Congress and served as the Prime Minister of Nepal on four occasions: from 1991 to 1994, 1998 to 1999, 2000 to 2001, and 2006 to 2008. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. The Hindu described him as a "national guardian".[6] Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh released a statement expressing his condolences, saying "Koirala 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,"[11] while Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations said "Koirala fought fearlessly and at considerable personal sacrifice for justice and democratic rights in his country"[20] and senior Maoist politician Baburam Bhattarai said "Koirala will be very much missed, especially now that the country is nearing the end of the peace process that he facilitated".[20]
Awards
In 2015, he was posthumously awarded with Nepal Ratna Man Padavi, the highest honour to a Nepali citizen by the Government of Nepal.[21]
See also
References
- ^"GP Koirala accorded highest honour posthumously".
- ^"Girija Prasad Koirala passes away at 86; last rites on Sunday".
These measures, initiated in the early 1990s, dismantled the prior license-raj system and opened markets to competition, fostering initial GDP growth rates of 7-8% annually between 1991 and 1994.[47][48][49] However, empirical assessments indicate these reforms had limited long-term efficacy in alleviating structural poverty, with national poverty incidence hovering above 40% through much of the 1990s and early 2000s despite a decline to 31% by 2003-04, attributed partly to remittances and aid inflows rather than domestic productivity gains.[50][51]Infrastructure development under Koirala emphasized hydropower and road networks to bridge urban-rural divides, with policies promoting private investment in energy projects and cross-border connectivity initiatives.
Koirala advocated for strategic escalation, balancing mass mobilization with backchannel communications to the palace, even as security forces responded with lethal force, resulting in an estimated 100 to 500 deaths according to human rights monitors, though official figures were lower. In December 1991, during his first term as prime minister, Koirala visited India and secured new separate trade and transit treaties, addressing Nepal's economic grievances and easing prior bilateral frictions over transit access.[58] These agreements facilitated Nepal's landlocked trade dependencies while reinforcing securitycooperation, including Indian arms provisions to bolster Nepal's forces against internal threats.[59]India's influence peaked during Koirala's 2006–2008 term, where New Delhi mediated key aspects of the peace process with Maoist rebels, providing behind-the-scenes advice and tacit support for the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed on November 21, 2006.[60] This mediation helped canton Maoist combatants and restrict the Nepal Army, advancing civilian oversight of security forces, though it drew criticism for perceived Indian micromanagement in Nepal's internal affairs.[61] Tensions persisted over unresolved border disputes, such as the Kalapani enclave, and trade asymmetries favoring India, yet Koirala's approach balanced these against Nepal's vulnerabilities as a buffer state between India and China.Relations with China emphasized non-interference and mutual respect under the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, with Koirala assuring Beijing in May 2000 that Nepal would not host anti-China activities.[62] High-level visits, including Koirala's trips in 1992 and 1993, sustained diplomatic goodwill without major security pacts, reflecting Nepal's strategy to counterbalance Indian dominance through equidistant diplomacy.[63]The United States provided counter-insurgency aid during the Maoist conflict, enhancing military ties post-2001 royal massacre and aligning with Nepal's security needs under Koirala's governments.[64] However, after the 2006 peace deal incorporating Maoists into governance, U.S.
officials expressed concerns over rebel disarmament, warning in 2008 of potential aid cuts if ex-combatants failed to integrate properly into state forces.[65][66]On security, Koirala shifted from monarchy-dominated forces to civilian-led structures post-2006, overseeing the cantonment of approximately 19,000 verified Maoist fighters and negotiating their partial integration into the Nepal Army—a process involving rehabilitation for up to 10,000 combatants but stalled by disputes over ranks, numbers, and ideological vetting.[67] This reform, enshrined in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, aimed to unify security apparatus under democratic control but faced resistance from traditional army elements wary of communist infiltration, underscoring Nepal's challenges in reconciling former adversaries for national stability.[68] Policies reflected causal constraints of Nepal's geopolitical position, prioritizing external alliances for internal pacification while risking diluted military cohesion.
Controversies and Criticisms
Corruption Scandals and Governance Failures
Koirala's second term as Prime Minister (1999–2001) was marred by the Lauda Air leasing scandal, in which Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) leased a Boeing 767 aircraft from the Austrian carrier Lauda Air in 2000, defying directives from the Public Accounts Committee not to proceed with the deal due to irregularities.[37] The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) probed the transaction, accusing involved officials of soliciting and receiving bribes totaling approximately Rs 389 million (about $5 million at the time), with investigations extending to high-level government figures including Koirala himself, whom the CIAA summoned for questioning.[69][70] Koirala challenged the CIAA's authority to interrogate him but faced mounting opposition demands for resignation amid the bribery allegations, contributing directly to his government's collapse; he stepped down on July 19, 2001.[38][3] Although Koirala was not formally charged and the accused were later acquitted by a special court in 2007, the episode highlighted procedural lapses and favoritism in state procurement under his administration.[5]Systemic corruption persisted across Koirala's tenures, with Nepal's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) scores from Transparency International reflecting entrenched graft in public institutions.Koirala, who was active in politics for over sixty years, was a pioneer of the Nepalese labour movement, having started the first political workers' movement on Nepalese soil, known as the Biratnagar jute mill strike in his hometown, Biratnagar. Koirala resigned in July 2001[11] after which the military was mobilized in the civil war for the first time, something Koirala had unsuccessfully attempted to do while in office.
BBC News.