National 1 (Spotlight Weekly)

Smooth Exit

In his last leg of politics, former prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa shows his political maturity by delivering a political statement while exiting

By KESHAB POUDEL

PM Thapa : Tapered innings

Just a day after the conclusion of the Nepal Development Forum Meeting 2004, prime minister Thapa tendered his resignation expressing his concern over the growing political problems.

In his half an hour Television and Radio address to the nation, former prime minister Thapa attempted to explain his role during his tenure and defended the intention of monarchy.

Thapa’s political career has been full of controversies as well as ups and downs. As a longest serving prime minister, Thapa always faced humiliating exit. During the Panchayat time, he even was sent to prison for six months. When King Birendra announced referendum in 1979, Thapa was appointed as the prime minister. He was dismissed ungracefully through impeachment motion charging him of corruption and inefficiency later in 1982. During the three decades of Panchayat period, he served the country for 8 years as a prime minister.

Thapa rediscovered his role in 1997 when he again became the prime minister again with the support from Nepali Congress. He became prime minister after pulling down the RPP- CPN-UML coalition government led by his colleague Lokendra Bahadur Chand.

Following violent five party agitations, he was re-appointed as a prime minister last year again replacing his rival Lokendra Bahadur Chand. But the last eleven months of his tenure was also marred by similar agitations.

Despite such a long stand off with the five agitating political parties, 78-year-old Thapa did not have any harsh words or comments towards his rivals including his own party leaders who had taken to the streets to protest his government.

As the longest serving prime minister of Nepal, Thapa has shown his political maturity this time. In his parting statement, Thapa thanked all state apparatus. One of his major achievements was that he ran a five-member government for eleven months of his tenure without facing any difficulty in the day-to-day administration.

“Had he avoided certain words and sentences, Thapa’s statement would have been much better. However, it was, overall, a completely political statement,” said one of the close colleagues of Thapa and a leader of RPP.

From his own party leader Pashupati Sumsher Rana, who demanded his resignation in November, and leaders of agitating five political parties, Thapa did not receive even an iota of support. In his fifth innings as a prime minister, Thapa had to manage the most difficult tasks.

Although Thapa had headed the governments in different crucial periods of history in the past including in 1979 when he held the first referendum; this was the first time when he avoided using any confrontational words in his statement.

With the support from Nepali Congress, Thapa had also led a coalition government in 1997 for seven months. At that time, he resigned following differences with Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala.

Known as a shrewd politician, Thapa took revenge with Koirala in 2001 by leading anti-Koirala agitation stopping the proceedings of the House of Representatives for 61 consecutive days.

In the last eleven months, despite constant pressures from the five agitating parties and non-cooperation from his party colleagues, Thapa took a number of political decisions. He had appointed members in the local bodies paving the way to carry out development activities.

Thapa also took a major decision making Nepal as a member of WTO. When Thapa was appointed as a minister, there were vacancies for more than a dozen of secretaries. He filled the ministries with new secretaries.

Despite all the troubled period, Kamal Thapa, who held the portfolio of Home as well as Information and Communication, also showed his maturity in handling the situation including the violent political agitation without any major casualty.

Although some journalists had demanded his resignation, Kamal Thapa did not use any harsh word against anyone. In fact, in the last twelve years, Thapa was the only Home Minister who could complete his tenures without having to face a single death of agitators/demonstrators at the hand of the state. During the course of more than five week long agitations, a section of journalists even went to the street demanding minister Thapa’s resignation.

Whether one likes it or not, the 78-year-old widower Surya Bahadur Thapa, who has underwent by-pass heart surgery twice, still remains man at the center of Nepalese politics. His tenure was short but he did take a number of political decisions. Despite serving during the most difficult times, prime minister Thapa’s exit was graceful.