Off The Record (Spotlight Weekly)

Koirala : Preparing to welcome

Unity Plea

Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala is nowadays busy wooing former party workers currently with student turned rival Sher Bahadur Deuba. As part of this reconciliation, Koirala has ordered his party leaders to grant an amnesty for all those who had strayed. Koirala even urged the party office-bearers to let the deserters take up their old positions. But Koirala is yet to clarify what will be the position of elected members of the central working committee. Whatever position party workers want, the Congress president wants them back in his fold. But one is still forced to wonder what prompted him to take the series of actions that led to party split in the first place.

Kindred Souls

Nepal : Lessons learnt

Every politician wants to have relations with like-minded leaders in other parties. CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, who went to take part the annual convention of JVP in Sri Lanka could have not been an exception.† Like UML, the JVP emerged in Sri Lankan politics through a violent rebellion in south at the end of 1970s. From formation to working style, the UML and JVP hold many similarities. Both raise all kinds of spicy slogans in the time of elections. As Sri Lanka is on the way to settling its two-decade-old bloody insurgency, Nepal might be able to share the country's experiences. As the JVP and the UML turn into a liberal open party, there is a lot the two can share.

Twin Agenda

Deuba : Feeling betrayed

Former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba describes himself as a victim of betrayal from colleagues in the opposition. As the former prime minister is launching a nation-wide campaign against his removal, he finds few supporters. Deuba's compulsion right know is to survive, especially when his senior-most colleagues are under arrest on corruption charges. So wherever Deuba goes, he has to fulfill two interests: denounce the palace move and criticize corruption.

Legal Review

Former ministers Chiranjibi Wagle and Khum Bahadur Khadka were the two main figures who drafted the Anti-Corruption Act and negotiated with other political parties to set up a high-level property probe commission. Interestingly, Khadka and Wagle have been summoned several times by the commission to clarify their property statements. Had they known the repercussions of their actions, would they have formulated these tough measures?

Strike Strategy

Bandhs seem to be a best way for political parties to register their protests. Although no one supports such actions, organizers issue statements hailing the role of public for making it possible. Whether the CPN-UML, CPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress or RPP, all political parties find this an easy method of public protest. What political parties do is just issue a press release fixing the date and reasons for the general strike and sit back. At the end of the strike they issue another statement addressing the common people as revolutionaries. Regardless of how the people feel, newspapers are ready to provide prominent coverage to the news. Bandh is like a day of festival where everyone can enjoy, except the poor strata of the population. Bravo, comrades.