Off The Record (Spotlight Weekly)

Deuba (center) with his colleagues : I am not alone

Reconciliation Route

Pro-Koirala Nepali Congress members Govinda Raj Joshi, Arjun Narsingh KC and others heaved a sigh of relief last week after discovering that the Election Commission chose not to invite members of the rival faction led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to the all-party meeting. For their part, Deuba lieutenants like Hom Nath Dahal and Bimlendra Nidhi got a much-needed break. Their silence is understandable. As the elections approach, they are increasingly becoming aware of the costs of disunity. Thanks to the Election Commission, Congressmen may have found a path to reconciliation.

Visit Mystery

Nobody knows for sure why Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba visited Belgium last month. Whatever the motive, Deuba told reporters at the airport that he was there to do business. Although the Nepalese media reported that the purpose of the visit was to lobby in favor of weapons purchases from Belgium, the prime minister suggested he went there to cancel the consignment. In his two tenures as prime minister, Deuba has always preferred to retain the element of surprise.

Nepal's Show

When CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal appeared at the annual conference of the All Nepal Free Students Union, the UML-affiliated student organization, delegates chanted slogans saying that all leaders should be like him. The students' love for Nepal is understandable, since he chose to attend the inaugural ceremony although he was suffering from high blood pressure. The gesture added to his popularity as a committed leader of the party. The experience was less rewarding for UML leader Bam Dev Gautam, though, who had to read out Nepal's message.

Koirala : Man to nowhere

Shadowy Koirala

Under the direction of Minister of Information and Communication Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta, the government media blacked out news on Nepali Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala for several weeks after the party split. After the Election Commission issued a strong directive, the government media have started to cover Koirala. But the former prime minister, who never missed public meetings while the blackout was in force, now seems to have receded into the shadows.

No Controversy

Former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala is tight-lipped these days. Nobody knows the rationale behind the former prime minister's decision to remain silent following his recent visit to Biratnagar. At a recent meeting, Koirala complained that journalists were biased against him, adding that they always distorted his statements. It seems Koirala is avoiding fiery comments that would hurtle him into the center of controversy again.

Nest of Evil?

In other countries, the finance minister commands great respect, especially since he or she is responsible for driving the country. In Nepal, the high-level Property Probe Commission has identified finance ministers as among the bad guys. Although more than 100 people have held different ministerial portfolios in the last 12 years, the commission only summoned former finance ministers. By summoning all five politicians who have held the finance portfolio since the restoration of democracy, the commission has projected the ministry as a nest of evil - something the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority has already done.