Off The Record (Spotlight Weekly)

Pudel : Double speak

Poudel's Anger

Weeks after he decided to stay in the Girija Prasad Koirala-led faction of the Nepali Congress, former deputy prime minister Ram Chandra Poudel is showing signs of uneasiness. When he visited his hometown of Tanahu last week to woo former supporters who joined Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's faction, Poudel was snubbed by followers of his district rival, Govinda Raj Joshi, who is the joint general secretary of the Koirala faction. Angered by the behavior of Joshi's supporters, Poudel warned that the Nepali Congress would have a difficult time ahead unless Koirala moved swiftly to accommodate all streams of thought. At another engagement, Poudel firmly ruled out the possibility of unification with Deuba group, as if he had suddenly acquired the prescience of a fortune teller. Come to think of it, Poudel's frustration is understandable, as he seems to be acceptable to neither faction.

Quiet Diplomacy

Nepali Congress supremo Girija Prasad Koirala was conspicuous by his absence at a major program organized to observe B.P. Koirala memorial day last week. Koirala, who is yet to make up his mind on his future course of action, is said to be ensconced in his small bedroom these days pondering the future of his party. At a time when his disciple turned rival, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, is giving him a big headache, Koirala's quiet diplomacy might have certain political meaning.

Deuba : Scard

Scared Deuba

Although his one-time mentor was taking a much-needed rest following his recent visit to Dhangadi, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba seems to see Girija Prasad Koirala's shadow everywhere. Whenever the prime minister addresses meetings, he reserves several harsh words for Koirala. From morning to evening and from residence to the office, Deuba's only has complaints against Girijababu. Politics of offense, one might say.

Oli : Confident

Oli's Confidence

It seems the next general election is going to be a boon for the CPN-UML. That's probably why senior comrades like K.P. Sharma Oli are exuding such confidence. At a recent press meeting, Oli declared that the elections would give his party a thumping majority to rule for five years. Having tasted power in 1995 after securing the largest number of seats in the hung parliament, Oli is now dreaming of a majority government. As they say, the art of believing has magnificent powers.

Celluloid Concern

In the last seven or eight years, Nepal's film industry witnessed a surge of productions. However, it has come to a standstill following the imposition of the state of emergency eight months back. As half a dozen films are in the process of being released, no one seems to be confident that they will win the hearts of the people. The mind is the best connoisseurs of art when it is at its calmest. Once the country emerges out of its turmoil, the film industry can begin expecting good times again.