Kathmandu: Leaving the entire nation to the mercy of the Almighty, the “‘accused” Prime Minister of Nepal, Monsieur Girija Prasad Koirala left for a four day working trip to the Fifth Republic.

Questions are being raised from all possible responsible quarters regarding Premier Koirala’s decision to leave the country at such a moment when the whole nation apparently has stood against him and his establishment over the Prime Minister’s alleged involvement in the Lauda air procurement procedures. As a result of this the ongoing 19th session of the parliament has not moved an inch from the point from where it started that is the whole month of its beginning the parliament has not even witnesses a minute business.

The parliament will continue to be boycotted by the entire rock-solid opposition in the days ahead as usual and will continue its one point demand and that being the summary resignation of the Prime Minister over his involvement in the Lauda air procurement.

Talking at an all party meeting convened by speaker Taranath Bhat the other day, the Prime Minister bluntly refused the opposition claim and refused to tender the resignation as demanded by the opposition since a month or so. In doing so Prime minister Koirala made it amply clear to his detractors in the opposition camp that he was a different stuff and could not be bent by pressures of the sorts currently acquired by them.

Listening to Koirala’s rough and tough remarks at the meeting, the opposition camp has been forced to go in for some more effective alternatives for Koirala’s ouster.

Opposition quarters have told the Telegraph that some suitable bur pretty effective measures would be devised soon to bring the Prime minister to the foot path.

“We are thinking on the lines of Nepal Bundh, torch demonstrations and off-the light to press the Prime Minister to resign”, said the same source.

This means that some more Bundhs were in the pipeline.

Intellectuals, however, remain divided on Koirala’s France trip.

A section of the intellectuals apparently close to congress camp say that Koirala’s decision to pay a visit to France will benefit Nepal in more ways than one.

According to them, this trip will draw the attention of the host country to keep Nepal in their priority list of support. The next benefit would be that trade and commerce between the two countries will get a boost.

Thirdly and most importantly, the Koirala trip will attract the French companies to invest in Nepal in the sectors such as Telecommunication and energy sectors.

The other section of the intellectuals though agree to the above mentioned benefits for Nepal from the Prime Ministerial trip to France, however, they maintain that the trip itself has come at a time when proper home work could not be done prior to the trip. They also opine that since the host country remains completely informed of the visiting Prime Minister’s shaky position back in Nepal and also understands the cause behind the whole stir.

“I can’t imagine how the French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin will treat Nepal’s Prime minister during the official level talks. The French Premier perhaps knows well that he is talking to a very shaky and accused Nepali Prime Minister whose resignation is being demanded by the entire opposition with full force. I pity for Lionel Jospin simply because he can’t exhibit his displeasure at the talks for it is he who has invited Nepali Prime Minister at a very inappropriate time”, said a political scientist from the Tribhuban University.

Yet another set of scholars ventilate their anger towards the Fifth Republic. They say that France by inviting an “accused”‘ Prime Minister will boost the morale of Koirala.

” The red carpet welcome extended to Prime Minister Koirala in France will only enhance the lost credibility and the legitimacy of an almost decaying set of arrangement in Nepal”, commented a sociologist at the TU.

However, he also added that the fault lies not on those who invited Koirala but instead on them who wished this visit to materialize at this critical juncture caring little about the situation in the domestic front.

Be that as it may, let us hope that our bilateral ties get a real boost despite the fact that Nepal could not send a sacrosanct leader to negotiate with a very powerful country of the developed West.