Kathmandu: Now that Girija Prasad Koirala has convened his emergency party conference, proven his majority there and declared that he will not resign under pressure on the basis of support mustered in the party at the conference, the lines are increasingly been drawn. His argument that the concerned authorities taking up the Lauda issue effectively must prove corruption charges against him postpones the issue as such. Other eyes will have to turn towards the Supreme Court interpretation on the Finance bill referred to by HM King Birendra where discussions seemingly hint that the new citizenship act included in the finance bill by the government may be returned to parliament.

Increasingly chances that Girija babu may have to deal short shrift to his opposition are high. His primary task is to consolidate and predominate his party to the extent of reading the irks of his Deuba detractors. Speculations that he will now force their hands appear high. This stems from his manner of dealing at the national convention hall with the Deuba grouping.

The fact that he has 38 of the total congress MPs to deal with in this manner makes his future steps worth pondering over. However, the 38 camp for the moment only be dealt with in the party until parliament convenes. It is in parliament alone that 38 can show their clout. But parliament has not been allowed to do business for over a month. There is no sign as yet that the opposition will allow it to do so.

This opposition strategy has embarrassed Girija Prasad Koirala no doubt. But it has also introduced a dangerous stalemate from which the opposition themselves have found no way out other that to increase actions in the streets. Somehow even the UML are finding it difficult.

It is that is current matter for speculation. As appears at the moment, the UML is losing cadre ground in Kathmandu. The ML majority in the elected seats of the metropolitan area resist participation in UML conducted programs. Moreover, both the UML and ML are losing the grassroots to the Maoists who appear to be gaining in presence in the capital city itself. One reliable source has it that the UML which committed itself to produce twenty thousands participants at the all-party opposition rally last month could only show an embarrassing turn out of not more that eight thousands workers at the much publicized rally. This contributed to the non-impressive performance of the all party meet.

In some ways therefore it is not just the Prime Minister who is hard pressed. All opposition activities have yielded much less than that promised and a way out appears even more distant now. With all parties’ assuming their public postures and hardening such in lieu of public credibility, chances of compromises have been lessened and no arbiter appears identified as yet to close the widening public gap.

It is this that contributes to the public acceptance that a tumultuous crisis is in the making. The public by and large concludes now that the initiative is not with the parliamentary parties’.

It is not surprising that increasingly the Maoists have put themselves in a position to declare themselves the lone option to current woes. While the major portion of the population see a solution emanating from the monarchy, the conclusion that neither options have been provided in the constitution makes the emerging crisis real.