Koirala’s ill health and politics of confrontation
(Nepalnews analysis)
By Bhagirath Yogi
The news of ill health of former premier and Nepali Congress president, Girija Prasad Koirala, has also brought to fore the intricacies of Nepali politics that is heading towards confrontation.
The 83-year-leader had left Kathmandu for Biratnagar on Friday.
Reports from Biratnagar say Koirala briefly met party workers upon his arrival at ‘Koirala niwas’ but did not want to talk to the media. His family sources later said doctors had advised Koirala to take full rest for the next few months.
Dr. Shekhar Koirala, a medical doctor and a member of the Koirala family, left Kathmandu for Biratnagar Sunday to attend senior Koirala. Upon consultation with doctors, G P Koirala may be taken to Delhi, Chennai or even further for treatment, according to family sources.
Koirala had fainted and got one of his ribs broken during a scuffle between opposition activists and police in Kathmandu while heading a pro-democracy demonstration early this month. Police briefly detained him and later dropped him off at his residence at Maharajgunj.
The authorities neither sought apology nor furnished explanation for the police behavior against Koirala.
A four-time prime minister, Koirala has been in the forefront of the pro-democracy movement in the country. He denounced the dismissal of Sher Bahadur Deuba-led coalition by King Gyanendra in October 2002 and led a five-party alliance against ‘regression.’
The opposition movement, however, received a serious set back when the Nepalese monarch re-appointed Deuba as the premier last year. Interestingly, one of the constituents of the five-party alliance, CPN-UML, chose to join the Deuba-led coalition saying that ‘regression’ had been partially corrected.
But after the royal takeover in February this year, Koirala again emerged as a ‘king-maker’ by bringing together seven odd-parties against the royal move—majority of which are communists.
He even persuaded them to buy his party’s main agenda—reinstatement of the House of Representatives that was dissolved by his disciple-turned-rival Sher Bahadur Deuba three years ago.
A towering personality in Nepali politics, Koirala never became popular while in office. He, however, has been able to earn respect of his staunch opponents including UML—that had brought the parliament to a halt for nearly two months demanding resignation of then premier Koirala.
The recently concluded 11th general convention of Nepali Congress not only re-elected Koirala as party president for the third consecutive term, it also decided to remove reference to ‘constitutional monarchy’ from the party’s statute. The significant policy shift in the 60-year-old party may have repercussions for long time to come, analysts say.
Sources close to Koirala say his unfinished agenda now include restoration of democracy in the country by drastically reducing powers of the monarchy, bringing the Maoists into political mainstream, and bringing his party back to the helms of power-- if necessary, in alliance with other democratic forces. His critics within the party say Koirala is also keen to install his successor in Nepali Congress—preferably from his own family.
Analysts say Koirala’s temporary absence at this crucial juncture will be felt by many including the royalists when the seven party alliance seems to be heading towards a tough position vis a vis the monarchy. In his absence, the mantle will fall upon UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal to lead the opposition alliance.
Nepal has been constantly in the news after declaring that people should start thinking of Nepal (the country) without a king. On Saturday, he even challenged the king to go to the people to check which one was more popular—a system of monarchy or a republic.
As the country seems to be heading towards head on confrontation between major political forces in the country that could result into chaos, anarchy and even foreign military intervention, analysts say Koirala still holds the key to untangle Nepali politics. A follower of the policy of ‘national unity and reconciliation’ propounded by his elder brother and first popularly elected prime minister –B P Koirala, G P Koirala has been insisting that reinstatement of the dissolved parliament is the only option to bring the derailed constitution back on track and creating an environment where popular democratic forces and a true ‘constitutional monarch’ could work together for the modernization and development of the country.
Unfortunately, people like Dr Tulsi Giri—no. 2 in the royal cabinet—have forced the country’s polity towards confrontation by asking Nepalis in the 21st century to choose between monarchy and democracy.
By closing down all constitutional outlets, if people were forced to make a choice in the streets of Kathmandu—the outcome will be more than obvious. nepalnews.com Sep 25 05
