Off The Record (Spotlight Weekly)

Wavering Belief

In the last couple of weeks, Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala has been changing his stand on the monarchy several times with the swiftness of a chameleon. Indicating that his party may go for a republic at one meeting, the former prime minister hops to another to assert that he is true believer in the monarchy. Koirala, who has entered the eighth decade of his life, seems to have developed some of the cynicism advanced age is said to bring. The troubling part is that the formerly sober leader of the Nepali Congress has cast himself in the lot of master practitioners of doublespeak.

Lohani : Return to the fold

RPP Bargain

As they say, nothing is impossible in politics. Although Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) leaders Rabindra Nath Sharma and Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani were defeated in the elections for the party presidentship at the Pokhara convention, they received a heroic welcome in the party. This was possible when both declined to become nominated members of the party, demanding the central committee name them. It took RPP president Pashupati Sumshere Rana four months of hard work to persuade Sharma and Lohani to accept the proposal.

Adhakary : Under fire

Confident Comrades

Despite the warning of CPN-UML leader Bharat Mohan Adhikary, two senior communist leaders K.P. Sharma Oli and Bam Dev Gautam have declared that they would continue to wage war against the establishment. Defending his stand, Oli claimed that the recently concluded general convention opened the constituent assembly for debate. He warned newcomers like Adhikary to stand in the party line dictated by party founders like himself. If the old ML cadres are humiliated, they will not tolerate it. Last time when Gautam split the party, he had made similar remarks. In practice, only a fraction of UML workers back his stand. Nobody knows how many hard-core communists would side with Oli in case of a split.

Deuba : Many designs

Deuba's Design

Former prime minister and leader of Nepali Congress (Democratic) Sher Bahadur Deuba seems to be in a relaxed mood. At a time when four communist parties and the Nepali Congress he broke away from have declared that they would launch a joint agitation from April, Deuba's party is said to be planning its own agitation. Removed as prime minister unceremoniously six months ago, Deuba is demanding his reinstatement. If the differences between major political parties and monarch widen, one cannot rule out possibility of Deuba emerging as a consensus candidate. Why indeed should Deuba be in a hurry to launch an agitation?

People In Peril

CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal is on a nation-wide tour to mobilize the people against the Lokendra Bahadur Chand government. Although Nepal and his colleagues have yet to get the support from enough people, they are asking their student wings to show their strength on the streets. In the process, Nepal and Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala seem to be

Poudel : Selective amnesia?

enjoying the destruction of private property in the name of the people. Whether one likes it or not, Koirala's and Nepal's agitation will end up being anti-people. As politicians, Nepal and Koirala have an easy answer: you have to sacrifice something to gain something.

Forgetful Poudel

Of late, Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel has been shown signs of selective amnesia. When Poudel was home minister, he made every effort to persuade the Maoists to announce a cease-fire. He declared that the Maoist movement was political. With the announcement of the cease-fire two months ago, the former deputy prime minister seems to have forgotten things. At a public meeting, Poudel disclosed that he knew who was playing games behind the talks.