NATIONAL 6 -(Spotlight Weekly)]

On A Collision Course

As the opposition parties demand the resignation of the prime minister, the winter session of the legislature is likely to turn stormy

By BHAGIRATH YOGI

Leader of the main opposition, Madhav Kumar Nepal, accompanied by leaders of four other opposition parties barged into the office of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala at sharp noon Monday and handed him a memorandum demanding his resignation. The charge-sheet included failure in maintaining law and order, failure in giving relief to people and alleged corruption in the Lauda Air deal.

What looked like a high-voltage drama came only three days ahead of the 19th session of the parliament. "We will wage struggle both in the parliament and streets to force Koirala out of office," declared Nepal. "As long Koirala remains in chair, the crisis in the country will grow manifold."

Nepal, however, did not say if his party had a magic wand to solve all the problems in the country. Neither did the leaders of the other parties -- the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, National People's Front, United People's Front Nepal and Nepal Workers and Peasants Party -- say anything about what they had in mind in the event Koirala actually decided to call it day. "We have not thought about that. All we want now is to oust a tainted prime minister," said Delaram Acharya of National People's Front.

MPs in Parliament : Will the sessions be productive

Interestingly, the combined opposition, except the terai-based Nepal Sadbhavana Party, joined hands as soon as Prime Minister Koirala was able to defeat rivals within his own party. As soon as the ruling party emerged united in the aftermath of its Pokhara convention, the main opposition vowed that it would drive a campaign to oust Koirala.

Taunted by the radical Maoist party as "bhai Congress" (brother of the Nepali Congress) and worried by the prospect of its own workers deserting, the UML may not have seen any other option than to maintain a stiff posture against the government. "The UML leaders might also be looking for some issues that they could take to the people during upcoming local elections," said Baldev Sharma Majgaiya, newly elected central working committee member of Nepali Congress and a member of Koiralaís cabinet.

Opposition leaders see thing differently. "As the head of the Council of Ministers, Prime Minister Koirala is responsible for the anti-national Lauda Air deal," said Subash Nemwang, a UML lawmaker and chief of the Public Accounts Committee of the parliament that probed in the deal. "We have asked the government to take action against the culprits and have drawn attention of the constitutional body," he said.

The Commission for Investigation on Abuse of Authority (CIAA) ordered the sacking of executive chairman of RNAC, Hari Bhakta Shrestha, and grilled former Civil Aviation Minister Tarini Dutta Chataut. But it is yet to file a formal case against the officials concerned. "How can you accuse the prime minister when the investigating agency is yet to lodge any formal case (at the court)?" asked Majgaiya. "It is not good to pressurize the investigating agency by taking out protest rallies in the streets."

As the ruling and opposition parties prepare for a showdown, the regular business at the 19th session of the parliament, that convened on Thursday (Feb. 8), is likely to suffer. Whilee is yet to announce his itinerary and agenda for discussion.