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Confused Comrades
Top comrades of the CPN-UML and CPN-ML are busy these days settling their differences to pave the way for a merger. The early phases of this unification process have not been problem-free. For instance, when a ML team led by Siddhi Lal Singh and Radha Krishna Mainali arrived at the central committee office of the UML, they hardly found anybody their to greet them. Junior part-time workers at the UML office abandoned the premises when they saw their former leaders arrive. After the ML broke away from UML three and a half years ago, leaders of the parent party instructed cadres not to hobnob with the deserters. As there was no official notification reversing that directive, UML workers found it wise to abide by the standing order. As soon as UML leader Bharat Mohan Adhikary arrived, the frostiness gave way to friendliness. Peaceful Coexistence Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is making special efforts these days not to ruffle the feathers of any colleague. This may be the reason why he is so eager to shake hands with anybody he comes across. In parliament, Deuba is often seen going that extra mile by extending a hand of friendship to every MP, including those belong to the opposition benches. The effort has not been in vain. When the prime minister announced his 10-point program in parliament, he received louder applause from the opposition benches than from his own party. It looks like Deuba's charm offensive has worked better on opposition leaders. Or is it a policy of live and let live? After all, opposition leaders understand that Deuba’s failure in office may trigger the comeback of their archrival Girija Prasad Koirala or any of his protégés. After the tumult of the last year, Deuba, too, must have realized the importance of keeping the opposition in good humor to keep his own job.
Teaching Teachers Former prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai finally seems to have realized why he could not last long in the prime ministerial seat despite having been credited with leading the Nepali Congress to a comfortable parliamentary majority. The septuagenarian was enlightened by none other than his protégé, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. "If we had taken decisions in the way Deubaji has, Girijababu and I would not have had to languish in perpetual conflict," a leading daily newspaper quoted Bhattarai as saying. Amid his busy agenda as premier, Deuba may have to spare time to teach his teachers many things. Red Revisionism After CPN-UML leaders decided to join hands with the CPN-ML, top UML leader Pradeep Nepal shot off a directive to party colleagues to revise their assessment of ML general secretary Bam Dev Gautam as the country’s most corrupt leader to one of the cleanest. The ease with which Gautam has undergone an image makeover must have drawn more than passing interest in other parties, which are grappling with their own graft problems. Quietest Koirala Ever since he was elected to the House of Representatives, Prakash Koirala, the eldest son of B.P. Koirala, has remained out of sight, barring, of course, that brief stint in his uncle’s cabinet. But why is Koirala so reticent. After all, he is a senior member of a political clan that likes to lay sole claim to the democratic mantle in Nepal. At a time when anyone even remotely linked to the Koirala family seems to have something to say about current state of affairs, Prakash Koirala wouldn’t lose anything by opening up. If he’s waiting for a more propitious time, maybe we can wait a little longer. But come on, Prakashbabu, speak up. |
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