Experienced
PM
BY DONNING the prime
ministerial mantleship for the fourth time, the new prime minister-designate Mr. Girija
Prasad Koirala brings with him a lot of experience of ruling the country from that coveted
post. Though this is his fourth stint as a prime minister, this is only the
second time he is heading a majority Nepali Congress government, the first time being the
government following the 1991 general elections. Being at the head of the
majority government puts him in a solid position to govern the country in an
atmosphere of stability. Koirala’s elevation to the prime ministerial post puts
to an end the internecine battle within the Nepali Congress that had vitiated the
political atmosphere. When the Nepali Congress won a resounding victory in the
May 1999 general elections, the third since the advent of democracy, it was generally
believed that Nepal was in a for an extended period of political stability, putting behind
the uncertainties of the past several years. The appointment of Mr. Koirala
caps another bout of uncertainty that had unfortunately dogged the Nepalese politics
for the past months. It became clear during the voting for the leader of the
Nepali Congress parliamentary party last week that Koirala commands loyalty from the
majority of NC lawmakers, though the rival contestant former prime minister Sher Bahadur
Deuba’s vote haul was not insignificant.
Nepali Congress lawmakers wanted Koirala
to be the next prime minister after the resignation of Krishna Prasad Bhattarai,
and so he is now. The trust that they have placed on him to steer the nation should
find expressions in how Koirala leads the nation in the days ahead. His first test
is the formation of a competent cabinet that would translate the pledges made by
Nepali Congress during the election time. The shape and size of the cabinet would provide
a shape of the things to come in terms of good governance. Having logged so many years at
the head of the government, Koirala should be able to see clearly what needs
to be done. He has said in recent days that his priority is to maintain law and
order and to check corruption, among other things. Finding a resolution to the Maoist
problem and mitigating the cancer of corruption should naturally take much of his prime
ministerial time. The priority is well-placed. No time should be lost in tackling
these twin problems and other myriad issues confronting this country’s governance.
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