NATIONAL 1 (Spotlight Weekly)]

Deuba’s Offensive

Despite some criticism, the Nepali Congress backs Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s decision to impose the state of emergency

By A CORRESPONDENT

At a time when the country’s security forces are fighting insurgents, the major political parties seem to be more interested in internal squabbling than in backing the government in its quest to restore normalcy to the country.

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The criticism of the CPN-UML and other opposition parties is understandable, as they are expected to point out the lapses and weaknesses of the government. But it is strange to see dissension growing within the ruling Nepali Congress at a time of grave national crisis.

Despite rifts in opposition ranks, Prime Minister Deuba has been able to secure support from the main opposition CPN-UML and other parties. But the situation in his own party appears volatile. The truce among various interest groups in the ruling party seems to have reached breaking point.

This was reflected when former prime minister and Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala suddenly called a joint meeting of the party’s central committee members, members of parliament and ministers. In the daylong meeting, Prime Minister Deuba's adversaries made every effort to criticize his government.

Koirala himself was said to have remained quiet, allowing members of parliament and central working committee to discuss various aspects of the emergency and their possible implications. Taking part in the debate, Congress members urged the government to take swift and decisive action against the Maoist insurgents and regain control of remote parts of the country.

Some members complained that even after the imposition of the emergency and the mobilization of security forces, the Maoists were continuing to kill innocent people and Nepali Congress workers. The participants stressed the need to mobilize the security forces more effectively.

With backing from former prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Deuba was able to defend his decisions. Although the meeting was summoned to discuss the state of emergency and its effects on the day-to-day life of the common people, senior Congress members spent most of their time criticizing one another.

Die-hard Koirala followers attacked Deuba for not fully mobilizing the security forces against the Maoist insurgents and claimed that the rebels were still unleashing death and destruction. Assistant general secretary of the Nepali Congress, Govinda Raj Joshi, who resigned as home minister several months ago after accusing the Royal Nepalese Army of not supporting the police to repulse the Maoists’ deadly assault in Dolpa, was said to be particularly vocal in criticizing Deuba.

Joshi demanded massive mobilization of all security forces to curb the Maoist insurgents. Prime Minister Deuba, however, was said to have refuted the charges and urged his party workers to wait a few more weeks before drawing any conclusion. "The security forces have been making every effort to contain the Maoists and have put them on the defensive," said the prime minister.

Although Nepali Congress members expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the government, the meeting backed Deuba and his efforts to mobilize the security forces to quell the Maoists. The meeting also called on Congress members to take a lead role in the villages to generate awareness against the rebels. "The character of Congress members and leaders is always unpredictable and nobody can say how long they would stand with Prime Minister Deuba," said a political analyst.

Many critics of the prime minister during the meeting were the same people who accused him of being soft on the rebels during the peace talks. However, as a large number of grass-root level Congress members were killed by the rebels in the past, it is not easy for leaders and members of the ruling party to speak against Deuba’s latest actions.

Despite efforts from within the party to undermine his position, Deuba appears to feel secure for at least another two months, after which the emergency declaration comes up for approval in parliament.