TIME LINE

• Born in Biratnagar in 1925
• 1948: Koirala founds the Nepal Mazdoor Congress, which later became the Nepal Trade Union Congress
• 1952: Koirala becomes the President of the Morang district Nepali Congress
• 1960: Imprisoned by King Mahendra following the 1960 royal coup
• 1967: Released from jail, is exiled to India along with other leaders and workers of the party
• 1979: Returns to Nepal
• 1975-1991: General Secretary of the Nepali Congress Party
• 1990: Actively takes part in the Jana Andolan which results in establishment of multi-party democracy
• 1991: NC wins 112 of the 205 seats in multi-party elections. GPK becomes the leader of the NC parliamentary party and is sworn in as Prime Minister
• 1994: With divisions in the party and defection of 36 members sympathetic to K P Bhattarai, Koirala loses vote. Koirala resigns. King Birendra dissolves parliament
• November 15, 1994: CPN-UML wins most seats in the House of Representatives and Man Mohan Adhikari becomes the prime minister of a minority government
• Koirala engineers the fall of Surya Bahadur Thapa. Heads NC minority government
• December 25, 1998: Koirala heads a three-party coalition government with the CPN-UML and NSP
• May 3 and May 17, 1999: General Elections held. NC wins again after deep divisions within UML. Heavy defeat of leftist parties
• 2000: Koirala becomes Prime Minister for the third time after forcing KP Bhattarai to resign. It is the ninth government in 10 years
• June 1, 2001: King Birendra and other royal family members massacred
• June 4, 2001: Prince Gyanendra becomes King
• July 2001: Maoists step up war. Koirala quits after being unable to mobilize the army. Deuba succeeds
• 2001 November: Maoists end four-month old truce with government, declare peace talks with government failed. Launch coordinated attacks on army and police posts
• Novermber 22, 2005: 12-point agreement signed in New Delhi
• 2006 April 24: King Gyanendra agrees to reinstate parliament following weeks of violent strikes and protests against direct royal rule. GP Koirala is appointed prime minister. Maoists call a three-month ceasefire
• 2006 May: Parliament votes unanimously to curtail the king’s political powers. The government and Maoist rebels begin peace talks
• 2006 May 2: Koirala announces new cabinet including himself and three other ministers from the Nepali Congress
• 2006, June 16: Rebel leader Prachanda and PM Koirala hold talks - the first such meeting between the two sides - and agree that the Maoists should be brought into an interim government
• 2006 November: The government and Maoists sign a peace accord, declaring a formal end to a 10-year insurgency. The rebels are to join a transitional government and their weapons placed under UN supervision
• 2007 January: Maoist leaders enter parliament under the terms of a temporary constitution. Violent ethnic protests erupt in the south-east; demonstrators demand autonomy for the region
• 2007 April 1: Koirala re-elected as Prime Minister to head a new government composed of the SPA and the CPN (Maoist)
• 2007 December: Parliament approves abolition of monarchy as part of peace deal with Maoists, who agree to re-join government
• 2008, May 28: Nepal becomes a republic
• 2008, July 21: Two months after the departure of King Gyanendra, Ram Baran Yadav becomes Nepal’s first president
• 2009, May 4: Caught in row over dismissal of Nepal’s army chief, country’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, resigns Terms as Prime Minister
• 25 April 2006 - 18 August 2008
• 22 March 2000 - 26 July 2001
• 15 April 1998 - 31 May 1999
• 26 May 1991 - 30 November 1994

LAST DAY'S FUNERAL

Kamal Dev Bhattarai

KATHMANDU March 21: Indian Ministers and senior political leaders, who arrived in Kathmandu today, paid their last respect to the late Nepali Congress president and former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala at Dasharath Stadium here.

India’s Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and Nationalist Congress leader DP Tripathi were among the Indian leaders who paid tributes to late Koirala.

In his message, Mukherjee said the late Koirala was a “great leader of Nepal and South Asia.”

“In his demise, we have lost a statesman, a true democrat and a great friend of India. An institution himself, Koirala played a very important role in the struggle for democracy in Nepal and in strengthening the close relations between the two countries”, he said.

In her message Indian Speaker Kumar said that the passing away of Koirala marks the end of an era in Nepalese politics. “His tireless dedication to the cause of peace and democracy in Nepal and his immense contribution in fostering and strengthening close and friendly relations between the two countries will always be remembered,” she said.

Minister Krishna said that with Koirala’s death, Nepal and South Asia have lost an “outstanding leader, who was passionately committed to the cause of democracy and friendship between the two countries.” “The contribution of Koirala as an experienced, determined and tireless leader will always remain a source of inspiration for both the present and future generations,” he said.

DP Tripathi also said Koirala’s demise is a great loss for the nation.

The Indian team also met PM Madhav Kumar Nepal in Baluwatar today.

According to PM Nepal’s press advisor, Bishnu Rijal, Indian leaders expressed the hope that the peace process will gain momentum in the days to come.

Nepal assured the leaders that despite Koirala’s absence, the country will get the constitution on time.