Off The Record (Spotlight Weekly)

Marathon Meetings

Following CPN-UML's ten-days-long central committee meeting, its ruling coalition partner Nepali Congress (Democratic) also held six-days-long meeting of its central committee. Chaired by prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, the central committee meeting was held after the gap of seven months. Although many of prime minister's party workers complained about the inefficiency of the government, the final concluding statement issued by the party backed his government's efforts to hold political negotiations to find the amicable solution of the present political crisis. For a couple of days, prime minister Deuba remained defenseless as his party members criticized him as unsuccessful and inefficient leader. But it was Deuba who emerged as winner at the last minute. Along with offering necessary arrangements, Deuba hosted a dinner 'in honor' of his party colleagues.

Shifting Location

Thapa : New base

Following the decision of its founding leader Surya Bahadur Thapa and his group to part ways, the Rastriya Prajtantra Party (RPP) has decided to move their office to new area. In the last twelve years, this is the sixth time RPP has shifted its office from one location to another. This time it seems that the party is totally fed up with the capital district. This may be the reason why the RPP has set up their new base in Lalitpur district. As the warring factions in the RPP have widened their differences, they are now also widening the physical distance between the two political parties. Thapa chose the locality in Baluwatar close to his house whereas the RPP decided to move to Patan.

Nepal : Triumphant

Silence Is Golden

Following the decision of its central committee, the CPN-UML leaders have remained tight lipped. Till two weeks ago, there seemed to be clear division in the party between the two warring factions. CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal's two rivals Bamdev Gautam and K.P. Sharma Oli were busy pulling the leg of the government. After the central committee's unanimous decision, Gautam and Oli are now compelled to defend the government. Although Gautam's and Oli's followers are unhappy with their leaders' decision to defend the government, there are no options for them - at least for the time being - other than to wait for an appropriate time to criticize the government.

Unity Shocks

At a time when some leaders of Nepali Congress (Democratic) are said to have initiated the process of unification with the parent Nepali Congress party, the NC leaders like Shailaja Acharya and Ram Chandra Poudel have approached each other to begin the consultations. After the split of NC, Acharya and Poudel found themselves in a win-win situation as they were hurled to the frontline of party leadership just after the president Girija Prasad Koirala. As such the new proposal of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's party has sent shock waves. Whether one likes it not, in case of re-entry of Deuba into his mother party, Acharya and Poudel will have no option other than to reconcile as their position will certainly be threatened. When general secretary Sushil Koirala has already declared that he will contest the elections to defeat Acharya and Poudel, Deuba's homecoming will make trouble to them.

Sugar Coated Assurances

Just a week after deputy prime minister Bharat Mohan Adhikary's decision to maintain the supply of sugar in the valley, the consumers had to wait for hours and hours to get a kilo of sugar. Although the decision to exempt the tax has given concession to importers, no one seems to be in a mood to import the sugar. Adhikary's new decision helped reduce the price of sugar at the cost of Nepalese sugar cane farmers.