OFF THE RECORD (Spotlight Weekly)

"Time Has Come For Me And Girijababu To Take Rest From Politics"

— Krishna Prasad Bhattarai

Former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai is desperately making efforts to pull down Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's government. Bhattarai recently spoke to the press at his residence in Bhainsepati. Excerpts:

How do you evaluate the performance of Koirala government?

The time has now come for me and Girijababu to take rest from politics. We have new generation leaders like former PM Sher Bahadur Deuba who can perform better than us.

Do you mean that second generation leaders from Congress party are competitive enough to take control of the government?

Yes. Young people are always strong and competitive. I have already asked Girijababu to hand over the party to younger leaders.

How do you see the future of Congress party?

Nepali Congress party does not have any challengers in the country as it is the only democratic party. Congress has the mandate to run the country for five years from last election. I think the party will lead the nation.

When there are so many differences in your party, how can you justify your claim?

As a democratic party, it is inevitable to have difference of opinion within our party. It will not affect our chances to run the country for five years.

How do you see the performance of various governments in the last ten years?

Despite some shortcomings, we have achieved tremendous improvement in terms of freedom. We will see better result in future.

Do you have any plan to contest the forthcoming elections?

I have already made clear that the younger leaders should be given opportunities.

Old Habits Die Hard

Former Prime Minister, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, is famous for his sense of humour, often ludicrous. Whether the topic be light or heavy, Bhattarai cannot seem to resist cracking a joke. At last month's interaction with the press about the state-of-the-nation, Bhattarai appeared to be in a serious mood, but at the end of the discussion he revealed his more jocular side with witty remarks on everything from his age, to the actions of the present government.

Nepal Double Talks

Nepalese political leaders have a variety of qualities. While former Prime Minister, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, is known for his wierd sense of humour, some political leaders are notorious for their double-talk. Take, for example, the following two statements made by UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal (published recently in Budhabar and Chhalfal weekly), and see how masterful our leaders are at blowing hot and cold.

"The Royal Nepal Army must be under the control of the elected government, and the government should mobilize the army. We must restore law and order."- General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal in Chhalfal, 1 October, 2000.

"It is foolish on the part of the government to unilaterally decide to send in the army. Just because the army is under the government, it does not mean that the government is free to use the army whenever it likes."- Madhav Kumar Nepal, Budhabar, 18 October, 2000.

Empty Theatres

The year 2000 appears to be a bad year for movies in Kathmandu. Almost every new film released in Nepal's capital city, has failed to attract significant audiences. Even Nir Shaha's historical epic, 'Basanti', received a cool response. Although critically acclaimed, 'Basanti' did not attract the attention of film-goers. And the much-anticipated 'Apsara', a romantic film by Bhola Rijal does not seem to be fairing any better. Now there seems to be a buzz about 'Dhukdhuki', the film produced by popular actress, Karishma Manandhar. It's been marketed well, but has yet to prove itself at the box office.

Hunt For Hunters

Never in recent history has the demand for the talents of the Royal Palace hunters, been so great. After the plane-bird collisions at the Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA), hunters became a hot commodity but demand is not always in sync with supply. TIA succeeded in finding only nine qualified hunters. It appears hunting the hunters will be just as difficult as hunting the birds.