Koirala, the lone crusader blows more hot than cold

April 9, 2003
5 MIN READ
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Kathmandu: The NC President is bit different than his colleagues whether they belong to his own party or otherwise.

Notably, for example, when the Maoists were in the jungles, president Koirala never left Kathmandu. Now that the Maoists are in Kathmandu and touring to various district head quarters president Koirala preferred to make a tour to the mountainous districts. Currently president Koirala is in the far flung districts to preach sermons regarding what ought to be done and what not in the changed political context in Kathmandu.

It is not for nothing said that a jungle can accommodate only one tiger. This is apparently the reason that the Maoists and Koirala differ with each other.

The lone crusader who is hell bent on pressing the King to correct what he calls constitutional blunders of late has been changing his tones and the contents of his statements too.

His fresh statement now provides only two options to the King: Chose either Republicanism or embrace for parliamentary system with constitutional monarchy.

More fresh is his speech that he made this Monday wherein he suggests the King that if the monarch opts for a constituent assembly without imposing any conditions then his party was ready for that eventuality.

Concurrently he then says that if the King wishes to go out of the political scene, implies abdication from the throne, by sowing the seeds of Republicanism then also he would not mind. This apparently does not satisfied his ego. He then says in a satirical vein that at the moment the King and the Maoists are in Kathmandu and he for one in the districts.

On Tuesday, Koirala warned both the King and the Maoists that should they both damage the prospects of the talks or create disturbances while the talks were on would cause immense loss to the both powers.

“If the Maoists and the King break the talks, the parliamentary forces then would finish both”, said an angry Koirala in Fidim located in the eastern mountains.

Analysing all these what comes to the fore is that Koirala has mixed reactions regarding the events that have unfolded in the recent months specifically after the Maoist stalwarts appeared before the public some two weeks back.

Firstly, Koirala felt that his utterances albeit political ones would be neglected given the fiery speeches of the Maoists who have surfaced into the open after seven tears. In effect, after the surfacing of the Maoists in public, the old guards of Nepali politics who had a monopoly in the country’s political happenings are being neglected both by the media and the population. This is a fact. The people need a change and the change is being supplied to them by the fiery speeches of the Maoists. The people throng to listen to the speeches of the Maoists much the same manner they did with the champions of the last popular movement of the 1990. Now that the old leaders have become redundant, at least for the time being, the people naturally turn their ears to listen to the new versions enunciated by the Maoists.

Secondly, Koirala wishes to hint the King not to get carried away by the Maoists for he sees that nation’s burning issues could well be sorted out by the 1990 constitution itself and that the elections to the constituent assembly might ultimately be not in the interest of the monarchy itself. In sum, Koirala hints the King not to sideline those political parliamentary parties who have all along been advocators of constitutional monarch in Nepal.

Thirdly, Koirala apparently hints the King that once the Maoists enter the power corridors in Singh Durbar, King’s role in the country’s affairs will be drastically reduced which in his implied message is that the King at the moment enjoys greater powers.

Fourthly, Koirala considers that the King apparently wishes to sideline the major parliamentary parties for good by elevating the ranks of the Maoist rebels.

Fifthly, he continues to be angry with the King even at this moment. He is not happy with the Maoists either. He then warns both not to disturb the talks. This means that he wishes the talks to proceed but warns that there should be no conspiracy at all or else face the consequences. This also means that the two separate guns, in Koirala’s consideration, were all set to hatch a sort of conspiracy in order to marginalise the traditional parliamentary parties.

And finally Koirala wishes that the King remained outside the domain of Nepali politics and encourage the parliamentary forces to run the state affairs.

This notwithstanding, Koirala is on the run with the hope that one fine morning the King would revive the now dissolved parliament and honor the statements of the septuagenarian.

Analysts opine that this would not happen.

Presumably, the parliamentary parties would announce their future programs today on how to bring back what they call the power from Palace to Singh Durbar.