Off The Record (Spotlight Weekly)

No-Win Situation

After the Supreme Court dismissed the petitions seeking the reinstatement the House of Representatives last week, there was joy and desperation in the Nepali Congress, depending, of course, on which side of the divide you're talking about. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's camp called an emergency meeting to hail the decision as a victory for democracy. Former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, on the other hand, asked his lieutenant Arjun Narsingh KC to politely denounce the decision. Moreover, Koirala called a special meeting of the party central committee to chalk out a strategy to draw back those who deserted him. Although deep divisions in the party have diminished its prospects of winning the November elections, Deuba and Koirala are making every effort to show their respective strength. Regardless of who emerges victorious now, both stand to lose in the long run.

UNL Doublespeak

CPN-UML leader K.P. Sharma Oli followed his party's tradition of doublespeak while issuing a statement on the Supreme Court verdict. He described the ruling as commendable, but pointed out that it contained so many ifs, buts, and commas. Those who remember how the UML issued a similarly vague statement conditionally supporting the constitution two members of the party helped draft, can easily see how ambiguity has become the comrades' byword.

Thapa Holds Sway

In both Nepali Congress camps, Rastriya Prajatantra Party president Surya Bahadur Thapa seems to hold a special place. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his predecessor, Girija Prasad Koirala, each met the RPP leader for two hours of extensive deliberations last week. Contrast this with Deuba's and Koirala's meetings with former Nepali Congress president Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, which rarely exceeded half an hour. Which way is Thapa, who is required by the RPP charter to step down as party president later this year, tilted? Or is he the person who can reunite the Nepali Congress. Either way, Thapa has become more important than Bhattarai in the Congress scheme of things.

Congrats, Comrade

CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal disclosed that Nepali Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala has already conceding defeat in the November elections. Nepal said Koirala has congratulated him for having become the next prime minister. Koirala has his reasons for his premature generosity. Age would not permit him to become prime minister again, and he certainly would not want to see Deuba re-elected. So Nepal may be his best choice. How Nepali Congress workers, who could not tolerate a minority communist government for nine months in 1994-95, would respond to a majority communist government remains to be seen. Actually, the Nepali Congress really may not have a choice this time.

Sushilda's U-Turn

When Nepali Congress general secretary Sushil Koirala affirmed he would respect the Election Commission's ruling on the rival camps' legitimacy claim, many were surprised by his sudden U-turn. The answer lay in two Election Commission envelops. Koirala lost his temper two weeks ago when the commission sent him a letter that stated his name and address but omitted his affiliation and designation. After the EC addressed him as general secretary of the Nepali Congress, Teku, in its latest letter, Koirala dropped his plan to hold a demonstration inside the commission premises. At least for now, Koirala has reason to be satisfied. For those who know the behavior of Koirala, the shift is natural. A die-hard opponent of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in 1996, Koirala paved the way for Deuba's victory in last year's Congress parliamentary party election. Had Koirala supported Chakra Prasad Bastola, Deuba would probably be yelling against the government's failure on all fronts.

CORRECTION

The book "Mass Media and Law", reviewed last week, is written by Kashi Raj Dahal, secretary of Judicial Council and a media expert.