OBSERVATION

The proverbial "honeymoon period" is still not over for the present Krishna Prasad Bhattarai led Nepali Congress government, so it might seem a little unfair to make any judgements on its performance right now. Prime Minister Bhattarai himself defended his government while meeting with some journalists on Friday by saying one cannot evaluate it so soon.

Yet, though we are not trying to be judgemental in any way, there are some issue that have to be raised, "honeymoon period" over or not. In an interview with an English weekly, main opposition party CPN (UML) leader Ishwor Pokhrel had also emphasised that they had no faith in giving any grace period to this government. He had said this when asked why his party had started to criticise the government just days after it had taken over the reins of power. We won’t be as harsh as the UML MP, but we will raise some issues which we feel needs the attention of the government.

First of all, this may be a too light a subject, but the talk about town right now, is the state of the Putali Sadak road. The people both pedestrians and vehicle drivers, have suffered a lot. However it is the media which has really brought to the front this problem. With top comedian Santosh Pant also mentioning this in his Firday night show on NTV, many people are indeed noticing the plight of this road.

Now the question is, how could a road that was black topped so recently have been destroyed so soon? Perhaps such things have frequently happened in the past, but this time people have noticed it because they suffered from the dust and bumps right from the time the road was first dug up so that it could be made better. Who is to be blamed for this?

This is a very good opportunity for the government to show its seriousness in punishing those who have been cheating the nation this way. This might not be a big thing when looked at from the national perspective, but swift and stern action from the government now, will by a symbolic gesture that will act like a balm on the burnt wound of the people who have suffered so much.

Corruption is one area where the present government can really take firm action. This is mainly because there is a person at the top, who has no motive to be corrupt. When the Prime Minister is not corrupt, it will be easier for him to initiate action against anyone who may be indulging in such illegal activities, including the ministers and top level bureaucrats.

It has been reported that an official at the Roads Department has been "suspended" for the Putali Sadak road fiasco, but is this punishment enough? Shouldn’t the contractors who built the road be punished too? Can’t they be barred from getting any government contracts?

Also, if some people have indeed been punished even if lightly, why isn’t the government trying to inform the public about it or publicise the fact? If indeed some good works have been done by the government, then it should be told to the people. That is how the confidence of the people in the government can be developed.

Another issue that has steadily gained ground, is the topic of the disagreements between Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala and Prime Minister Bhattarai. The top leadership within the party has not made any statements regarding this, thus allowing the rumours to spread even more. Then, the activities of the those already appointed to some top posts and others who are running around looking for similar appointments, also indicate that there is a clear rift between the Koirala and the Bhattarai camps.

For example, some of the people appointed, from the likes of Minister Yog Prasad Upadhyaya onwards to chief advisor to the Prime Minister and even the Chairman of the Gorkhapatra Corporation, they are all strong anti-Koirala men. Then those running around, are already claiming that the countdown for the Bhattarai government has already started.

A highly connected NC man, who is acting as a mediatory between party president Koirala and some senior members of the "Chattise" group informed this scribe that everyone within the party were indeed concerned about the performance of both Prime Minister Bhattarai and also some ministers, who were indulging in corruption. "We are seriously concerned about the present situation when the government has not been able to do anything for the people and the nation,"he said. He also warned that if such a situation persists, it would not be good for anyone.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Bhattarai himself has not done anything to kill many of the rumours that have been making the rounds about him. From his amnesia to his inability to stand up properly, no explanations have been made till now. The rumours have just persisted and ordinary people too have gotten into the bandwagon and started questioning Bhattarai’s sanity and good health.

This is not good. When people start losing faith in their own Prime Minister, the situations slowly gets out of control. This is where a savvy Press Advisor to the PM can make his mark. Kishore Nepal is a savvy public relations man as anyone else. But he does not seem to be understanding this situation too well. He has been able to hold inter-action between media people and the Prime Minister, but he has not been able to deal with the rumours about Bhattarai.

What we have been saying is no judgement about the Bhattarai government, neither is it criticism. This is just an observation of people who are aware of the situation and who are concerned about the success of the government. We know that if this government also is unable to deliver the goods, then the country will suffer greatly and reach such a point from which it may take years to come back. So we pray for the success of this government, though it has to depend more on performance than luck or prayers.