Dr. Mohasin's Phobia

The enthusiasm with which the incumbent Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had accepted the national challenges some two months ago is visibly waning thanks partially due to his own inherent weaknesses and some due his strong partner in the cabinet, the UML.

Deuba's weaknesses are manifold. He is the one who is made for all but those all are not made for him. Deuba in effect began committing blunders after blunders from day one of his appointment as the nation's prime minister and the Himalayan blunder he committed finally when he decided to entertain all of the demands pushed by the communists considering that those blunders could be corrected the moment the dubious communists joined his government. Deuba took the UML's entry into the government as having been made with all good intentions. However, the Prime Minister could not see the hidden agenda of the UML in joining the government. The fact is that for Deuba the communists have already become a foreign material that has stuck in his throat which he neither can gulp nor can vomit it out. The pressure on him continues to the extent that perhaps the prime minister now would be thinking that his preference to go with the UML was a blunder of the highest order.

Koirala has now reasons to be happy in seeing his number one political rival, Deuba, in sheer trouble. He would apparently wish a premature death of the government which would mean to him putting a brake into the continuation of regression and the fall of a government which has been partnered by a party that till the other day was in the streets with him. For Koirala, the abrupt change of hearts of the UML in favor of Deuba amounted to a betrayal and hence it was only natural for Koirala to pray the Almighty the government's fall that might again bring him in the media limelight for obvious reasons.

The UML is evaluating its size more than what it has in effect. The UML perhaps considers that the fall of this government might bring in chances for its own party government in Singh Durbar which is perhaps, at least for the time being, a day dreaming exercise. There is no guarantee that the King will elevate its ranks to what they have been aspiring for and squeezing Deuba more and more so that finally the prime minister either yields to their demands or out of frustration resigns. This Deuba will not do for so many reasons. Firstly, he has vowed to restore peace and hold elections. Secondly, he is compelled to go ahead with its strong partner or else there are some who will make joke of him. Thirdly, most of the friendly countries of the globe have wished him a success and these countries can't afford to wish unstable governments in series. Finally, the people will not take the changes in government in good taste.

Thus the need of the hour is that both Deuba and his communist partners must come to terms and behave in a manner that assures us all and both should engage in fruitful discussions so that a clear cut policy is framed to bring out the country from the ailments which by and large were their own creations while in power in the past.

Dr. Mohsin's presence in the cabinet might have irritated some parties. However, the irritation should have been discussed at length when he was being inducted or was inducted in the cabinet. Now that he is already in the cabinet, it is futile to challenge his credentials. Spending time on such trifling matters would serve no political interests, neither to Deuba nor his communist partners. Albeit, such matters might send wrong signals here and there.

Question could be asked as to why the political parties are afraid of Dr. Mohsin? Is it because he is a Royal nominee? If this is so then can the UML ministers deny that they were not the Loyal Servants of His Majesty's Government? Certainly they are. And above all, the UML must not forget that its own party ministers have become ministers in the Deuba cabinet through the kind courtesy of the same controversial article 127!

UML's reservations on Dr. Mohsin would have found some place in the hearts of common men had the UML stayed out of the cabinet. But they did not do so for varied reasons.

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