OFF THE RECORD (Spotlight Weekly)

Bhattarai's Punctuality

Bhatttarai : Unpunctually

Local residents along the way from Baluwatar to Singhadurbar do not need a watch to know the time as security of prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai makes them easier to know what time is it. Unlike his predecessors, the septuagenarian prime minister Bhattarai has his own schedule to attend the office as he usually leaves his residence at 11:30 a. m. and returns from Singha Durbar at 3:00 p. m. Although Bhattarai may have a long list of negligent behavior, he has been showing his punctuality while going to his office.

Every One Can Make And Break

Even fourth generation leaders like Binaya Dhoj Chand and Shiva Prasad Humagain can make or break governments. If some one wants to know more, ask prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai. Chand and Humagain are the first two MPs who initiated the signature campiagn against Bhattarai. It was Prime Minister Bhattarai who provoked them by challenging their legitimacy when these sincere MPs went to Baluwatar to meet their parliamentary party leader with some genuine grievances. Instead of listening to their genuine problems, Bhattarai asking insulted them to leave.

Active Deuba

Former prime minister and Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba is not exactly idle. During recent crisis within his party, leaders of different factions within the ruling party urged him to come out of his self-imposed hibernation and open assaults at the old leadership. So far, he has refused to bite the bait. Instead of attacking both the senior leaders, Deuba took the side of Prime Minister Bhattarai. When the two leaders settled the problems, former prime minister Deuba once again was cut down to size.

Bhattarai's Promise

With the much-promised cabinet expansion by prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai becoming a much-postponed event, the patience of ministerial aspirants is wearing thin. Bhattarai's hint to induct more than seven people in his cabinet has sent the MPs into lobbying overdrive for ministerial berths. While the prime minister is keeping everyone on tenterhooks, the aspirants have armed themselves with mobile phones lest they miss the elusive call. On the pretext of making courtesy visits, they have been flocking to Bhattarai's official residence at Baluwatar. Of course, they don't forget to get their numbers noted down by Bhattarai's staff.

Advantage Nepal

Having secured some advantage in currently concluded special session of the House of Representatives, UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal seemed to be happy. When his party colleagues were participating in the debate in the House of Representatives, general secretary Nepal was pushing a wheel-cart with three full bag of signatures to hand over to prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai. It seemed to be a happy day for him as he was occupying both the street and the parliament on the same day.

Unity In Making

Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has a record of breaking and uniting as it unites for no reason and undergoes division without any cause. After losing elections from his home constituency, RPP-Chand leader Lokendra Bahadur Chand finally agreed to unite with the mother party, RPP. Although RPP President Surya Bahadur Thapa, who overthrew the Chand government two years back, is yet to express his opinion on the issue, it seems certain that Thapa will include Chand as a member under him in the RPP central committee. The question once agains : how long will the unity last?