NATIONAL 1 (Spotlight Weekly)]

Without Political Agenda

Prime Minister Koirala's address to the nation lacks political commitments

By KESHAB POUDEL

In his half-hour message to the nation, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala spared much of his time to urge the people and political workers to follow democratic norms.

At a time when Koirala is facing violent demonstrations from the main opposition party CPN-UML, he should have challenged them to face fresh elections.

PM Koirala : Failing to inspire

Everyone knows that it is impossible for Koirala to dissolve the house at this juncture, but he could have challenged the opposition by offering elections as an alternative to end the political stalemate.

"What is the use of listening to the rhetoric of Prime Minister Koirala. Had he spoken about the elections, he would have gained more sympathy from the people," said a political analyst.

Prime Minister Koirala's intention to avoid the word "election" is understandable as he might have been advised by his speechwriter not to weaken the internal dynamics in the party.

Nobody has found anything appealing in his speech. Amid continual violent agitation and unconstitutional methods adopted by the opposition, seeking the mandate from the people would have been the only option for any democratic government.

In any democracy, it is the people who can decide who has the mandate to govern. "If the prime minister had challenged the opposition to face the elections, his stature would have risen. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Koirala has lost a big opportunity to threaten the main opposition," said a political analyst.

The prime minister's statement was not inspiring as it did not mention any clear-cut political terms to correct the distortions in the political process. In his last leg of political career, Koirala could have taken a bold decision.

"Koirala's statement has some political meaning as he has called the Maoist to the table. I don't think Maoist will respond to him on just that ground," said RPP leader Rabindra Nath Sharma.

The main opposition party termed the prime minister's plea as a hoax. "We have not seen any words that is inspiring to the people," said Bharat Mohan Adhikary. "A prime minister tainted with corruption charges should have no option other than to quit."

Although Prime Minister Koirala also urged Maoist leaders to start the dialogue and give up their weapons, he did not make any comment on how that would be possible.

"Had the prime minister given some indication, it would have been beneficial to ending the violent Maoist insurgency in the country," said Rabindra Nath Sharma.