Kathmandu: A UML press gathering prior to the opening of the 20th session of the parliament signaled the opposition posture that the government will not be given respite this session too. All other opposition parties appear to be taking a similar stand with the new Public Security Regulations as the bone of contention. The UML of course, retains its demand for the resignation of the Prime Minister. It is here that the opposition does not appear unanimous.

As the things stand, the UML will perhaps depart from its nineteenth session strategy to disrupt the House proceedings until at least discussions on the Royal address and vote of thanks. There is no indication that the Prime Minister will be allowed respite after it. It is the different standpoint on opposition that will perhaps allow Girija babu room to play. In other words, both the RPP and the Sadbhavana could perhaps be willing partners for the Prime Minister to ride the session through. This possibility perhaps has already been broached by the Girija camp explaining the new confidence in government, which prompted the sudden summoning of the parliament after considerable delays.

Of course, the national tragedy of June 1 and the enthronement of the new King is being explained as reason for the sudden summons of the summer session. This notwithstanding the fact remains that, emergency or otherwise, government must still see the session through. As much as the Prime Minister is playing the national tragedy to his advantage, the likelihood that he has succeeded in softening the opposition postures has its own advantage for the government indeed. It does look like a strategy surfacing which would provide government with willing partners in the event of crises emerging with the Left demands for resignation. The possibility that Girija babu will rope in the RPP and the Sadbhavana is high.

This would be especially lucrative for the two minor opposition parties in the event that the Prime Minister must seek recourse to yet another mid-term poll and the dissolution of the parliament. If, in the last elections, the congress had a willing partner in the UML. The two together conducted the last polls, which wiped the ML from parliament and succeeded in bringing about the current composition with a congress majority and the UML in opposition.

This session thus, could well also be a decisive one in prompting yet another mid-term in attempts to break yet another deadlock.

Again temptations to foresee the results of the possible mid-term would be premature at the moment. Regardless, one does see that the Girija camp is gaining an edge over its KP-Deuba rivals and so the possibility of both sections in the congress preferring a decisive role through general elections to break the stalemate within the party appears high. If the current Congress-ML coalition for elections to the Upper House is any indication, Girija babu would certainly find the ML a handy-tool to tame the UML if the latter precipitates an election resulting dead-lock in the 20 th session.

This notwithstanding, parliamentary politics is likely this session to precipitate more street activities than previously given the UML stance itself. It is these street activities that will have to be watched. This is especially so given that the UML still retains the leadership of the eight minor Left parties. Moreover, the Maoists’ insurgency itself will have to be watched.

All combined, the 20 th session will, willy-nilly, be a decisive one.