Off The Record (Spotlight Weekly)

Speaker On Trial

Speaker of the House of Representatives Taranath Ranabhat has always been in the limelight since the dissolution of the House. Often, he has landed in one or another controversy. Ranabhat was frequently pushed to the corner by his own colleagues. Speaker Ranabhat is once again in the news. After the news was leaked out regarding the rejection of the nominee (made by the constitutional council of which Speaker is also a member) by the King for the position of the chief elections commissioner, Ranabhat was compelled to stand trial before the central working committee of the Nepali Congress party. Speaker Ranabhat, who was declared untouchable by the five agitating political parties a few months ago, is now facing another round of struggle to maintain his political strength in the party.

Oli’s Goli (Bullet)

CPN-UML leader K.P. Sharma Oli has a history of raising objections. Senior communist leader Oli seems to be a permanent opponent of his party leadership. Although he supported the meeting between his general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and three top Maoist leaders in Lucknow, India and called it as a step in the right direction, he objected Nepal’s decision to go to Lucknow without the consent of the party. Oli’s reserved comment regarding the meeting is understandable since he does not want to give Nepal a free hand in the party.

No Gifts, Please

Spokesperson of the Nepali Congress Arjun Narsingh K.C. has set a new precedent by asking invitees not to bring any gift at the wedding of his daughters. Challenging to the tradition of giving gifts to the newly married couple, K.C. has set a positive example at a time when gift-giving tradition was turning into an ostentatious display of wealth and status. Although K.C. has invited all his party colleagues, party leaders and well-wishers at the Birendra International Convention Center, no one was seen carrying any gift. All complied with his request.

Congress Coming Closer

Deuba : Positive vibes

Nepali Congress leaders seem to be considering pardoning those leaders who deserted the party a year ago. The central committee meeting of Nepali Congress has already issued a statement calling all the party workers to return to party folds. But the process of unification of the divided party is yet to begin. Interesting development is that the senior party leaders have already started to share the forum with each other. A few weeks ago, Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala and Sher Bahadur Deuba shook their hands while attending a meeting organized by the CPN-UML. Just a couple of days ago, Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel shared the forum with spokesperson of Nepali Congress (Democratic) Homnath Dahal in another program. Whatever the motives of such programs, it seems that the warring factions are gradually coming closer. If they decide for unification, no one needs to be surprised.

Rocking The Chair

It took many months, but former PM Lokendra Bahadur Chand, who is a diehard opponent of current PM Surya Bahadur Thapa, finally succeeded to rock his chair. The senior RPP leader Chand went to different religious shrines to perform Pujas, before Thapa’s chair began to rock. Chand is very happy these days. The day the RPP central committee meeting asked PM Thapa to resign, Chand was busy attending ceremonies at different temples. The prayers of pious Chand must have played a prominent role in the current rocking of the PM’s chair.

Transit Prime Minister

Although he is not a jocular person by any stretch of this word, Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa proved to be contrary when last week he breezed through the country. PM Thapa enacted a drama of sorts when, en route from Thimpu to Pakistan, he spent two hours in transit in his own country. He did not venture out of the Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA). No body understands the rationale behind this idea of staying in transit by the country’s own prime minister. He could have made a quick dash to Singh Durbar to sign a few files, if nothing else. But no, he instead had all the ministers including the acting Prime Minister meet him at the airport.