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Kathmandu Friday June 01, 2001 Jestha 19, 2058.
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Ill-considered
move
Everyone knows that Girija Prasad Koirala has in him a
liberal streak of obduracy. This has been amply borne out by the way he has been
weathering the storm over the Lauda lease deal and the attendant clamour for his
resignation. Another equally pronounced Koirala trait is his instinct for survival. The
political animal in him knows when to rock the boat if that suits his purpose and when to
turn around and rally his forces to carry the day. But that instinct seems to have failed
him this time. Koirala has just appointed confirmed loyalists to the Nepali Congress
Central Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision making body in the party. It is a
move fraught with consequences. Prominent among the appointees are Sushil Koirala as
General Secretary, a post he has held before, and Lila Koirala and Chakra Prasad Bastola,
all relatives and unflagging Koirala loyalists. The Prime Minister is obviously bracing
for a battle royal within the NC and on the floor of parliament, come the twentieth
session. But therein lies the miscalculation. This is a time when he should be building
bridges to political rivals and detractors within the party. It would have helped him
rally the party behind him in the wake of the damage inflicted by Lauda. Appointing new
incumbents to the CWC in his capacity as Party President was a golden opportunity to do
just that. This opportunity has been passed up. What this betokens is a seize mentality
rather than qualities of leadership. It is going to cost him dear in the days and weeks to
come. While Koirala may have strengthened his grip over the party apparatus, it has done
little for the overall health of the Nepali Congress which likes to equate its fortunes
with that of Nepalese democracy itself.
As Party President, Koirala can appoint l8 out of the 37
members to the CWC. Conspicious by their absence among the new appointees are any faces
representing the other camp in the ruling party. The Bhattarai-Deuba camp could well take
this as a snub even though it is no secret that there is little love lost between them and
the Koirala men (and women). Furthermore, Koirala has compounded his folly by apparently
cold shouldering relative heavy weights like Ram Chandra Poudel. There is bitterness in
particular over the reappointment of Girija-cousin Sushil Koirala as General Secretary, a
post that Poudel apparently had been homing in on. The appointment of Sushil Koirala along
with all the other Koiralas helps revive the accusations of nepotism often levelled
against the Koirala clan although it has become received political wisdom that the clan
factor is what is now dominant in deciding the question of succession within the party.
Leaving Poudel out in the cold means he is going to be inclined to tilt to the other camp.
Although he is not considered to be someone with a strong political base at the grassroot,
he does have stature in the party and government and is a known moderate and middle roader
in the party infighting. If he goes over to the other side, it will be a loss to the
forces of moderation that have helped hold the fractious party together so far.
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