Off The Record (Spotlight Weekly)

Rift In Parties

At a program in the capital last week, general secretary of Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) Madhav Kumar Nepal charged the smaller parties of the five agitating front of being dogmatic. After the government imposed prohibitory orders to curtail the parties’ decisive agitation, Nepal and his current comrade-in-arms Girija Prasad Koirala (president of Nepali Congress) have agreed to tone down their agitation and spread it to districts instead of centering it in Kathmandu as earlier planned. That was a clear indication that the leaders duo were privy to something that other leaders of smaller three parties like Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, People’s Front and Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) were unknown with. So when these leaders of tiny parties called on the two leaders to go ahead with decisive and stormy agitation, Nepal shot back. He even added that these three parties were unable to gather any kind of considerable number of crowds at times of agitation. Clearly, the three tiny parties have outlived their utility. Till few weeks ago, Nepal used to boast that the joint front had supports of five political parties. Strangely, he is making a swift about-turn. The reason could unfurl in the days ahead.

Divided We Stand

Nepalese society seems to have survived in division. Whether it is in the political parties, soccer associations or film association, there is a tendency to start afresh with new organization as soon as someone feels he/she is being marginalized. In the political fronts, there are half a dozen parties with similar names. Rastriya Prajatantra Party has a rival faction called RPP (Nationalist) and Nepali Congress has another splinter with the name Nepali Congress (Democratic). Communist parties have broken all records of splits – there are several leftist brands like CPN-Maoist, Nepal Communist Party (Masal), Nepal Communist Party (Marxist Leninist Maoist), Unified Marxist Leninist and Marxist. Now the similar trend has caught the sports, teachers and other professional organizations, too. After the merger of two football associations, another front still remains to be united. Same is true with private school organizations with PABSON and National PABSON in the picture.

Shrewd Thapa

Prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa who was appointed prime minister with a mandate to end political stalemate by brining all political forces into the mainstream, seems to have lost all interest to carry out this task. Prime minister Thapa, a shrewd politician, knows what he needs to do to prolong the crisis. Prime minister Thapa is well aware that once he settles the political stalemate, he has to resign. This seems to be the reason why prime minister Thapa is provoking major political parties and increasing the hostility with them. As long as the political stalemate is there, Thapa continues to be a prime minister. So why end it?

Winner Sushilda

Nepali Congress general secretary Sushil Koirala seems to be one of the happiest persons right now as he was able to guide

Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala as per his wish. Following the restoration of democracy when Sher Bahadur Deuba, Shailaja Acharya and Ramchandra Poudel were together as a new generation of troika, Sushilda had little influence within the party. Now, former prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai has already been sidelined. Sher Bahadur Deuba leads another party. Shailaja Acharya, a fire brand lady leader and former deputy prime minister Ram Chandra Poudel have been cleverly pushed away from the party center-stage. This has left Sushilda with virtually no challenger. At a time when all rational and dedicated Congressmen are on the sidelines, general secretary Sushilda is using all his henchman to pollute the political process – without interruption from anybody.

Gautam's Silence

CPN-UML leader Bamdev Gautam is losing his identity as a strongman in the country's major political party. Following the last month’s patch-up, senior communist leader Gautam seems to have decided to remain tightlipped. Nobody understands the reason behind Gautam's silence. Regarded as a firebrand leader with trademark wild remark, the third powerful leader within CPN-UML seems to be waiting for his chance to pounce on the highest position in the party's policy making body. Senior CPN-UML leader Gautam even sacrificed his own trusted man Radha Krishna Mainali to end the war with current general secretary Nepal. To gain something, one has to lose something. In case of Gautam, he had to lose everything including wild statements and trusted colleagues.