NATIONAL 1 (Spotlight Weekly)]

Koirala Gains Strength

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala again proves that he does not have a serious challenger in the party

By KESHAB POUDEL

Despite all-out attack within the party and outside, Congress president and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala still seems to be going strong politically.

PM Koirala : Resolute Under Pressure

During emergency meetings of the Nepali Congress central working committee and parliamentary party, even the bitterest of Koirala's critics seemed to surrender in front of the prime minister. Interestingly, Koirala reinforced himself when the entire opposition stood united against him.

The main opposition party's street demonstrations, Maoist challenge and rebellion of his colleagues, former prime ministers Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Sher Bahadur Deuba, have not coalesced into the force to unseat him. Koirala is nobody's choice, but no one sees an immediate alternative at this juncture. Koirala is known as a man who can take decisions without evaluating the repercussions.

In all of his stints as head of government, Koirala has taken many decisions which have left many negative impacts in Nepalese society. His insistence on mobilizing the Royal Nepalese Army without identification of the real enemy may damage another strong national institution.

Almost all of Koirala's steps have been suicidal for the country. But one cannot ignore his stature as a leader who secured all positions through the people's mandate.

Even before the beginning of Congress Central Committee meeting on Monday (April 9) a mysterious rumor was circulating in the city that Prime Minister Koirala was going to resign.

But it died down soon after the completion of the central committee meeting where his diehard opponents were said to have supported his move to mobilize the army to quell the Maoist.

Former prime minister Bhattarai on Sunday (April 8) was said to have told his followers that Girijababu was considering resigning as a prime minister.

Following two major attacks by Maoist insurgents against the police posts in Dailekh and Rukumkot, Prime Minister Koirala was widely criticized by his colleagues on the ground of his failure to contain the Maoist. Interestingly, only a few members of parliament showed the courage to ask for his resignation in the parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday (April 10).

CPN-UML leaders were understandably frustrated when they saw the Congress central committee meeting backing Koirala instead of putting pressure for his resignation.

"If Congress members do not ask for Koirala resignation, we will force them to replace him," CPN-UML leader K.P. Sharma Oli told SPOTLIGHT on Monday (April 9). "We will launch a nationwide boycott and will not allow Koirala to enter the prime minister's office."

The desperation in UML leaders, including Oli, is understandable as the rebels in the Congress did not pressure Koirala to resign as expected. Even arch rivals Bijaya Kumar Gachchedar, Khum Bahadur Khadka and Chiranjibi Wagle listened to Prime Minister Koirala quietly in the central committee meeting.

"We want the resignation of Girijababu as he is unable to improve the law-and-order situation in the country, but this is not the time to ask his resignation," said Gachchedar.

Other rebels did not raise the resignation issue, either. "The meeting was cordial and no one demanded the resignation of the prime minister in the meeting," said Narahari Acharya, central committee member and spokesman of the party. "The main issue of the Congress meeting was not resignation but the law-and-order situation."

"Koirala cannot take decisions benefiting Nepal but he is a legitimate leader with a democratic mandate. The UML's present acts will only expose the communist forces of Nepal as anarchist and anti-democratic," said a political analyst. "Whether the opposition likes it or not, Prime Minister Koirala enjoys support in the party. Koirala may be suitable for forces who want to implement their agenda."

Whatever the opposition and Congress rebels call Koirala, he has proved himself as a strong player of Nepalese politics. The recently concluded Congress central working committee meeting and parliamentary party meeting further strengthened his position in the party.