HEADLINE
In depth Analysis
Kathmandu: A victorious Girija Prasad Koirala can now afford to be accommodating. On plea of party unity his arch opponents in the party, former Prime Ministers’ K.P.Bhattarai and Sher Bahadur Deuba, can now be included in the central working committee as a gesture from the victorious party president. Regardless, the fact remains that Girija Koirala has trimmed the number of his elected opponents in the central committee of the party to less a fourth. This makes sure that any attempt to precipitate any splits will be constitutionally redundant. Any advantage that now remains with the K.P-Deuba group is in existing parliamentary numbers. How this number will be utilized to assert its presence in the winter session of the parliament remains to be seen.
The Deuba performance at Pokhara was predictable. But the fact that the Pokhara convention has alienated a sizeable portion of the congress grass-roots through manipulations and machinations obvious to the congress workers themselves makes for somber assessment as to its actual effects on the morale and the performance of a Nepali congress that is increasingly alienated from the masses.
The winter session of the parliament also sees a UML on the offensive. The Girija government is going to be hard pressed on the RNAC-Lauda air issue which has already claimed the airline key management and the tourism minister himself. It is noted that the minister had told the parliamentary committee that the choice of the Lauda air was a cabinet decision and nothing else.
In the background of increased Maoists activities closer to Kathmandu and the more frequent assertion on the streets of the nine left parties now cooperating with CPN-UML, the renewed public determination of the CPN-UML and its presence along with the disgruntled congressmen in parliament makes a potent combination for an isolated but stronger Girija Prasad Koirala.
Curiously, those seeking a way out of the current impasse in the efforts to elbow Koirala even see possibilities of the people power type that nudged Philippine President Estrada from power irrespective of his determined demonstration of legislative majority and support amidst popular charges of corruption. If the streets can topple systems, as in the Philippines and more curiously in Nepal, and claim legitimacy therefrom, why can’t it topple governments’ is the going explanation in the Philippines. What this means to democratic institutionalization is another matter of course.
Political stability and good governance must for Nepal
-Ambassador Lemp
Kathmandu: The Nepal Foundation for Advanced Studies or otherwise the NEFAS last week invited at its Kirtipur office the newly accredited German Ambassador Mr.Ruidiger Lemp and exchanged views on contemporary national and international events.
On the occasion, the executive director of the Foundation, Professor Ananda Shrestha dwelt at length on the academic activities accomplished by the NEFAS in the past.
Welcoming the German Ambassador, Mr. Shrestha recalled with admiration the moral support extended to the NEFAS by former German Ambassador, Martin Schneller who witnessed the tumultuous days of the 1990s when this nation switched itself from the Panchayat to this order.
Mr. Shrestha expressed his Foundation’s desire to work closely with the Embassy of the Republic of Germany in order to enhance the multi-faceted bilateral ties for each other’s benefit.
Two renowned Nepali scholars, Dev Raj Dahal, executive member of the NEFAS, and Professor Guna Nidhi Sharma, T.U, briefed the distinguished visitor about the state of Nepalese politics and the economy from academic perspective.
Later, Ambassador Lemp assured the scholars that his country would continue to remain as a major donor to this Himalayan Kingdom.
” The massive aid and donations pouring into this country will all go down the drain if there is no political stability and good governance”‘, said Ambassador Lemp.
For Nepal’s democracy to survive for long, added Ambassador Lemp, the Nepalese leaders must give due attention in making literate the masses and this could only be accomplished when people and the children in the remote areas were provided education.
The meeting between the German Ambassador and the NEFAS scholars was facilitated by the Telegraph Weekly.
B’desh Premier Hasina to visit Nepal; Koirala to pay return visit!
Kathmandu: Nepal and Bangladesh appear determined to give a real boost to their bilateral ties for the benefit of both the countries.
Indications to this effect were made already visible when the foreign ministers of Nepal and Bangladesh met early this month in Dhaka wherein they decided to enhance the trade, commerce and tourism business through the proper utilization of the Fulwari corridor which yet remained untapped to the extent it was expected.
Talking to the Telegraph Weekly last week, the Bangladesh Ambassador Cyril Sikder said that “our bilateral relations will take a new turn when the Prime Ministers of the two countries will exchange visits to each other’s countries in due course of time.
“Hopefully, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will pay an official visit to Nepal at the end of March this year which will be soon followed by the visit of Nepal’s Prime Minister to Dhaka”, said a beaming Ambassador Sikder.
According to the Bangladesh diplomat, a joint inaugural of the bus service will be initiated by the two Prime Ministers to facilitate the movement of the tourists as well as that of commodity in each other’s countries.
If this could be accomplished, about 200% of the cost and plenty of time could be saved for the transport of Nepali goods on its way to Mongla port, continued the Ambassador.
“‘Nepal’s Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is supposed to inaugurate the container service from Mongla port to Kathmandu during his proposed trip to Dhaka.
Talking about the availability of facilities at Mongla port for the Nepali goods reaching there, the Ambassador made it amply clear that “all the modern facilities were available at Mongla port and we will leave no stone unturned for providing best of the facilities for Nepal and her exportable goods reaching Mongla”.
On a query pertaining to the resumption of the now suspended SAARC process, the Ambassador maintained that during the last meeting of the two foreign ministers this question had also come up during the discussion. “Both the countries were very much eager to resume the SAARC process even this year or early next year. In this regard my country is closely working with Nepal to resume the SAARC Summits as early as it could be made possible”, continued Ambassador Sikder.
According to Ambassador Sikder, the transport modalities that are yet to be signed in between the two countries, if signed shortly, would provide Nepal a golden opportunity to reach up to Thailand and Myanmar utilizing the Fulwari corridor. These two countries along with B’desh constitute BIMSTEC. Nepal, to recall, has been awarded only an observer status to this organization.
The transport modalities between Nepal and Bangladesh is expected to be signed shortly before B’desh Prime Minister arrives Nepal on an official level visit. The dates for the visit have yet to be announced.
If things go smoothly then this modality will come into operation by early March, 2001-it was learnt during the talks with Ambassador Sikder.
Mediamen witness Israeli voting!
Kathmandu: For the fist time perhaps the Nepali media men could witness the voting procedure of a foreign friendly country right here in the capital district.
The embassy of Israel offered this opportunity to the Nepali journalists last week at its premises wherein the Israeli voters cast their votes to their preferred candidates for the post of the Prime Minister.
The general election in Israel is slated for February 6, next month.
According to the press note issued by the embassy here, altogether 3171 voters will vote for the post of the Prime Minister from among 99 polling stations located in various Israeli diplomatic missions abroad.
While Kathmandu has four votes for the impending election, then Israeli diplomats based in Alexandria, Egypt will cast three votes in total.
As per the information, the Israeli diplomats based in New Zealand became the first voters abroad to cast their votes for the election of the Prime Minister who accomplished this on January 24 last week.
Likewise, Israeli voters in Kathmandu voted on 25 January last week.
The newly appointed Ambassador of Israel Mr. Avraham Nir and Madame Nir together with two more staffs cast their votes on that day.
The votes thus cast in various Israeli diplomatic missions abroad should reach by February 6 to Isarael, it was also learnt.
Ariel Sharon and Ehud Barak are contesting for the post of the Prime Ministership in Israel.
Premier Koirala told to quit or else….
Kathmandu: The newly elected President of the congress, Girija Prasad Koirala, will have to tread a very difficult path to retain his Prime Ministership.
If the plans that have been charted for managing smooth ouster for the incumbent Prime Minister by most of the Opposition parties go the way as desired by Koirala opposition in the parliament then what could be predicted in advance is that the Prime Minister will have to fight tooth and nail to save his chair or else he is gone.
“‘We have just one point agenda now and that being the ouster of Prime Minister Koirala from the seat he is occupying at the moment”, said a UMLite to this scribe over phone Tuesday morning.
Elaborating the need for Koirala’s summary ouster from the Premiership, the same source adds: ” the three point agenda with which Koirala pulled the rug under the feet of his old colleague, K.P.Bhattarai, remains intact. Secondly, Prime Minister Koirala’s deep involvement in the Lauda Air deal has been almost testified. The resignation tendered by minister Tarini Datt Chataut and his subsequent statements made in the PAC interrogation that the choice of the Lauda air was not his personal one but had been a “case duly approved by the cabinet” also conforms the allegation that since the Premier gave his positive nod to the Lauda deal so he must be a party to this scandal. As Prime minister Koirala must resign now at the earliest”.
Koirala’s three point agenda prior to assuming the prestigious seat had been, to recall, providing good governance; maintaining law and order in the country and rooting out the menace of corruption from the country, in which perhaps Koirala has miserably failed.
The nine left parties have explicitly expressed their willingness to support the UML one point agenda and that being the ouster of Koirala from the Chair. The RPP, the NMKP, MASAL and National People’s Front and indeed the Maoists too have supported the UML’s fresh move for the summary ouster of Koirala from the chair of the Premier.
Analyzing the fiery speeches and the languages contained therein made by Opposition leader Madhav Kumar Nepal and his party colleagues, it appears that this round he and his party in collaboration with other opposition parties will move the earth to bring down Koirala from the chair come what may.
To recall, Pradip Nepal, a UML Polit Bureau member has already declared that his party will not allow Prime Minister Koirala to enter the winter session of the parliament until he relinquishes the chair voluntarily.
The chief of the Nepal Peasants Party, Narayan Bijukchhe has said that his party will support the UML move till the end. He however, feared that the UML might retract from its move at a later stage.
To face the impending fierce eventuality during the already summoned winter session, Prime Minister Koirala apparently has been trying to accommodate his “‘ declared dissenters” in the party by rewarding them with either ministerial berths in the next reshuffle and in the congress central committee. In doing so, Koirala assumes that the opposition of the opposition parties in the parliament could be faced bravely and their nasty designs could be foiled summarily.
However, the UML will not settle for less this time evidently. Both the parliament and the streets will be used for Koirala’s ouster. The lay men who definitely have gone against Koirala regime because of mal-performance and mal-governance will naturally support this. Add to this the arch rival-the Maoists-too will indirectly support the UML sponsored “relieve Koirala plan”.
The Maoists too possess perhaps one point agenda, which is very close to the current UML agenda.
The days ahead are definitely not that smooth for Koirala. If things deteriorate against him, a sort of Philippine example can’t be ruled out. However, this all will depend on how effective becomes the opposition against him.
It would be a fun indeed to witness how the opposition could force the sitting elected Prime Minister to quit the chair by force?
Maoists’ throw the ball in govt’s. court!
Kathmandu: Within a week or so of the enactment of the Ordinance bill brought for the formation of the Armed Police Force, the Maoists have issued a statement denouncing the bill stating that the bill thus brought exposes the government’s unwillingness for the resumption of the dialogues with them that ultimately exposes the establishment’s fascist face.
A statement issued dated January 28 by Comrade Prachanda says that the continuation of Girija government for long will further exacerbate the national problems.
” The need of the hour is to go in for a sort of working alliance and the formation of a joint front in between all the forces which oppose the government in order to wage a struggle against the establishment”, says the statement issued in the name of Maoist insurgency supremo-Prachanda.
At the end of the statement Prachanda expresses his willingness to go in for yet another round of talks with the Koirala regime provided the latter fulfills minimum of their demands. This, says Prachanda, we will do in order to save the lives of the people.
Interestingly enough, the Maoists insurgency is close to observe its sixth anniversary which almost coincides with the opening of the winter session of the parliament.
The language with which Maoist supremo Prachanda has appealed the parties in opposition of the government amply hints that the Maoists will support any move from any quarters that is aimed at destabilizing the Koirala regime.
Prachanda’s statement also hints that their grouping will support the UML sponsored relieve Koirala campaign to the hilt come what may.
However, Comrade Prachanda’s willingness to resume the dialogues with the government is some what surprising in the sense that of late the government quarters have not uttered a single word pertaining to the talks with the insurgents rather has brought in to effect the bill that will supposedly take care after the threats of the insurgents.
Is it that the Maoists have become afraid of the bill recently brought in to action or were genuinely interested in averting the confrontation with the state security arrangements in the larger interest of the people and the nation?
Be that as it may, the Maoists willingness to go in for the talks has come at a time when the insurgents are about to observe their sixth anniversary and reportedly were to show their violent presence in the capital district to mark the occasion. However, with this fresh statement from the Maoists’ quarters, the ball now is in the governments court.
How the government under Koirala will react to this Maoist overture remains to be carefully watched.
Hopefully, the regime opts for meaningful and constructive talks with the insurgents and saves the country from going to the brink.
Bitter pill for Deuba!
Kathmandu: President Girija Prasad Koirala proved this round of elections in Pokhara that he can accomplish any sort of difficult job and can maneuver any congress politics in a manner that favors his continuity.
In doing so President Koirala not only obliged his long time colleague K.P.Bhattarai by bringing him in the congress central committee but also hinted his arch rival Sher Bahadur Deuba that till he was alive no force on earth could destabilize him and his chair.
K.P.Bhattarai is the one who from the very beginning acted as like a mentor and prompted Deuba to go against his rwin posts of the presidency and the Prime Ministership.
However, things have settled now in favor of Koirala and he has emerged victorious despite of the fact that a sort of crusade had been waged against him and his twin posts.
Deuba has now been reduced to a personality who commands respect and honor in the party and enjoys the confidence of a sizeable section of the congress parliamentarians but yet had to reconcile with president Koirala- his declared arch rival who till the other day was found criticizing Koirala’s rule- to get himself nominated in the congress central committee.
However, the impending days will tell as to on what conditions Deuba has swallowed this bitter pill which he had to gulp in the form of friendly gestures that came from his arch rival-president Koirala.