OFF THE RECORD (Spotlight Weekly)

Gautam : What, now?

Communist Blend

When CPN-ML general secretary Bam Dev Gautam entered the Rastriya Sabha Griha last week, his CPN-UML counterpart Madhav Kumar Nepal came to greet an old comrade who had engineered a split in the party four years. Although the two communist leaders say they still hold different views on major issues, why have they decided to unite? That's the million-rupee question. Workers of the newly united party will continue to debate whether they have gained or lost. The only visible change will be the fate of the ML, which has been declared dissolved. However, as long as ML leader C.P. Mainali remains outside UML, the ML will remain alive. Gautam has lost his post of general secretary. For what? Let's keep watching.

Unity Plea

As soon as the CPN-ML and UML leaders raised their hands in a gesture of total unity of the party, some comrades began shedding tears, while others raised slogans suggesting they had moved closer to power. The celebratory mood of the communist workers is understandable, since many believe the split denied them an opportunity to ride to power in the last election. But is anyone really certain about how the unity between the ML and UML will affect the party's fortunes? What is certain, though, is that any worker who violates party discipline can expect to receive the kind of treatment Gautam has.

Congress Theatrics

Politics in Nepal has always been a story of contradictions and controversy. Just a couple of days before the formal announcement of unity between CPN-ML and CPN-UML, the ruling Nepali Congress was on the brink of a split. At a marathon meeting, Congress central committee leaders were virtually in a war-like situation. At one point, security personnel deployed outside Teku Hospital took position to intervene, when a loud sound erupted from the meeting hall. Sharp verbal exchanges and minor scuffles continued until the party agreed to issue a statement calling for an end to internal differences and support for the state of emergency. Nobody knows whether the Congress leaders have actually buried their differences. But the party has a history of internecine bickering. After hectic and violent exchanges, Congress leaders have shown the ability shake hand and embrace each other the following morning. It's just that Congress leaders, unlike the CPN-UML, don't organize public meetings.

Deuba's Brief

If Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is invited to lead a quiz contest, he would probably win hands down. His short and crisp replies are any quizmaster's delight. Regardless of the nature of the question thrown at him, Deuba always replies in fewest possible words. When one journalist recently asked about future of his government, Deuba said he saw no threat. When another raised the possibility of resuming peace talks with the Maoists, Deuba said ëno'. In an hour-long press conference, chances are that Deuba would utter fewer than two hundred words. Although he may not provide good quotes or sound bites, Deuba is a man of carefully chosen words — a valuable political asset during today's chaotic times.

Speechless Ex-PMs

Former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai has made history or sorts in the House of Representatives by not speaking a single word in the last two years. Bhattarai is not alone in adopting a vow of silence, though. Former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala has also remained tight-lipped ever since he resigned last July. Among the three former prime minister in the lower house, only Rastriya Prajatantra Party leader Surya Bahadur Thapa comes with prepared notes.