NC, UML say the same thing

August 4, 2004
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Kathmandu: One will have to watch developments in Sher Bahadur Deuba’s key partner in government, the UML, to await immediate political developments. For one thing, government-party relations have never been cordial in Nepal. When the party leadership is not actually present in government. Just as in the early 1950, after B.P. Koirala assumed the NC leadership when M.P. Koirala was Premier the UML’s Madhav Nepal has already begun giving strictures to government in which its party members remain at best baffled.

Government positions have made it convenient for Madhav Nepal to shuffle his party portfolios that have already irked UML ministers. But, when the party leaders begin dictating government certainly become shaky specially when the party leaders himself shakes their strength in party positions.

The quagmire that UML members of cabinet are getting into is worth analyzing indeed. The cabinet decides that fruitful peace talks will only be entertained when the Maoists show a definite gesture towards such. The UML party leader is free to talk on his position regarding the peace talks, which is in direct contradiction to decisions of government in which the UML remains.

UML government ministers are aware that there is no win-win situation in declaring an immediate cease-fire and calling for talks unless a minimum agreement on the agenda at the talks is arrived at. The ministers moreover, are aware that such agreement must take place prior to the talks in order for the formal meetings to yield results. It is this that keeps the ministers mum. There is nothing that can prevent Madhav Nepal from cashing in on the politics issuing ultimatums in contradiction to the government standpoints. The ministers can only helplessly say that they will get-put of government if and when the party says so. The impression is that Nepal’s UML is preparing the populist ground for just this.

Not surprisingly the other junior partners in government whose leadership is not represented there, the RPP is facing similar problems. In contrast to the UML, however the RPP’s chairman, Pashupati Rana, being challenged more aggressively for what seems to be his individual choice of representation in the government. If representation in government has facilitated Madhav Nepal to consolidate his party position by firstly, ensuring replenished coffers; secondly distributing additional party positions in lieu of government positions by party members and, government standpoints, the RPP’s Pashupati Rana appears to have united diverse opposition against him to trigger a collective demand to summon the party assembly.

Of course there are subterranean rumblings within Deuba’s own party itself for not having allowed key party strongmen a berth in his cabinet. This of course, Deuba may withstand through indirect funneling of perks to the disgruntled as head of cabinet. Again, this is exactly why the Sadbhavana’s Badri Mandal claimed a ministerial post despite coning a peg-down from his previous position as Deputy Prime Minister. He is after all, the party chairman and can satisfy inner rumblings through perks he will distribute organizationally.

All things said therefore, it is the UML that is likely to decide the fate of government and it is the UML’s Madhav Nepal who will shoes to do so far sake of his inner organizational compulsions. That this will impinge on government priorities is hardly a matter of the party general secretary’s concern. He must, after all compete with the initiatives of Girija Prasad Koirala of the NC with whom the Maoists admit dialogue has taken place. Koirala who still heads a four party agitation against the coalition on grounds of ‘regression” is attempting a revival of his flagging political clout with claims that immediate talks must be held with the Maoists and that this should be unconditional, Curiously, competitor Madhav Nepal is saying the same thing. It is another matter that both Koirala and Nepal where partners in suppressing the “People’s War” as late as the last general elections.