Nepal’s private sector has expressed grief at the demise of former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress (NC) President Sushil Koirala. Koirala passed away athis residence on Tuesday morning. He was 77.

Issuing separate statements, the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) and Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) have described his passing away as “a great loss” to the nation.

The FNCCI said that the country had suffered an unbearable loss, and that Koirala had made a significant contribution to the democratic movement with commendable leadership. “We appreciate the fact that it was during his time that the country succeeded in promulgating a new Constitution,” the association said.

The FNCCI also said that Koirala was really concerned about the country’s economic development. The apex body of the country’s private sector stated that the political parties and leaders should play an effective role in the implementation of the new Constitution.

Koirala became the head of government in February 2014 after the election to the second Constituent Assembly. Under his leadership, the NC re-emerged as the largest party with the highest number of public votes. He was elected as the party president in September 2010. The biggest achievement of his political career was the promulgation of the Constitution on September 20, 2015. In his capacity as the Prime Minister, Koirala played a crucial role in generating political consensus for the statute’s endorsement.

Meanwhile, the CNI said in a statement, “An honest and simple person with a clean character, Koirala was a strong supporter of independence, democratic values and liberal economy. Koirala’s death has not just created a void on the political front but also on the economic front.”  

Similarly, the NCC said that Koirala always played an inspirational role for the country’s private sector and was helpful towards it.

“Koirala believed that the sustainable development of the country was possible through an open market, liberal economy and private sector,” the NCC said in a statement signed by General Secretary Kamlesh Kumar Agrawal.

The NCC also lauded Koirala’s role in uniting the political parties that made the promulgation of the Constitution possible. “The people’s hopes of seeing a new constitution through the Constituent Assembly was fulfilled during his tenure,” the NCC said.

Likewise, NRNA President Shesh Ghale said in a statement that Koirala’s death had stunned the association. “We have lost a parent who always remained helpful and guided the NRNA in its movement. Koirala’s demise has caused an ireparable loss to the nation.”

Meanwhile, the Society of Economic Journalists—Nepal (Sejon) has expressed grief at the demise of former Prime Minister Koirala. The apex body of the country’s economic journalists said in a statement that Koirala’s death had left a void in Nepal’s democratic process at its time of transition.

When Koirala was the country’s Prime Minister, he had time and again said that Nepal would embark on a development journey and the government’s focus would shift towards economic development once the Constitution was promulgated.