Kathmandu, Sept 18: Former Nepal’s Prime Minister and president of Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala today said his party follows the principles of socialism, which are a combined form of parliamentary democracy and communism.

Addressing a function organised by party's student wing, Nepal Student Union (NSU) here, Koirala criticised the statement by Prime Minister Prachanda that Nepal now would have neither a parliamentary system nor a communist rule.

Koirala said if Prachanda wanted a socialist approach of governance, it was similar to the one followed by Nepali Congress since its inception.

He urged the Maoist leadership not to attack democratic principles.

Koirala asked the NSU members and Tarun Dal, the party's youth wing, not to follow the undemocratic and unruly footsteps of the Young Communist League and Youth Force, Nepalnews reported. (ANI)