OFF THE RECORD (Spotlight Weekly)

Friend Of All

Thapa : Foes turned allies

Eleven years ago, when Girija Prasad Koirala declared that the success of the People’s Movement was a victory not only for the Nepali Congress and communists but also for the panchas, infuriated comrades at the open air theatre tried to drown his speech in a crescendo of hoots. Last week, when leading figures of that despotic system now grouped as the RPP criticized Prime Minister Koirala, communists found themselves nodding in appreciation. RPP leader Surya Bahadur Thapa must have felt an immense sense of triumph in being able to share the stage with communist leaders, including the radical CPN-Masal, at that same theatre. Indeed, politics is the art of the possible.

Bhattarai’s Strategy

Bhattarai : Center of attactions

Congress leader and former prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai is a shrewd practitioner of politics and his reputation for frequent flip-flops appears to have helped him. After the publication of his authorised biography a few months ago, many saw in Bhattarai someone who he was not. The good intentions expressed in the book are nowhere to be seen in the no-win politics Bhattarai has been indulging in these days. Until a few months ago, Bhattarai’s Bhainsepati residence was quiet, as only a small number of supporters would be seen hanging around. After the CPN-UML, joined by four other opposition parties, embarked on a strategy of stalling parliament to press for the resignation of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, Bhattarai’s residence has become a beehive of power brokers. From Koirala to UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, everybody seems to want an audience with the septuagenarian Bhattarai. This time of the year seems to belong to Bhattarai.

Ranabhat’s Wrath

Nepalese politics seems to be a platform for revenge and everyone is taking his or her share of it. Enraged by his defeat in the recent party general convention elections in Pokhara, speaker of the House of Representatives Taranath Ranabhat seems to want to show that he still has the power to harm others. The events of the last three weeks show that it is not the opposition parties but the speaker himself who wants to stall the house. He suspends house sessions even before the opposition chants have taken their politically acceptable pitch. It’s as if opposition members and Ranabhat have made a secret pact to paralyse the house.

Poudel’s Silence

Contrary to his character, Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel has remained tight-lipped over the opposition parties’ demand for his boss’s resignation. Nobody knows the reason behind Poudel’s strategy. He is usually among the first to open his mouth whenever there is a crisis in the party. Some of his colleagues link his silence to a desire to step into Koirala’s shoes, should the prime minister choose to step down. If the power of silence can be used for political advantage, why should Poudel speak?

Popular Fatwas

Issuing fatwas seem to be an established norm in Nepalese politics. As parliament remains stalled following the joint fatwa of Madhav Nepal and Surya Bahadur Thapa against Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, it is now the time for hotel union leaders to edicts against hotel owners. Although Nepal is the only Hindu kingdom in the world, fatwas do not seem to go against its political traditions.