More Prey

EDITORIAL

No, fracas in the ruling Communist party has not been resolved. Postponement of their standing committee meet continues. And, so do the ‘one-on-one’ meeting of the two NCP chairmen, Prime Minister K.P. Oli and former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Having flatly rejected any party calling for resignations of both his posts, as prime minister and as party chairman, why the two must keep on talking is a mystery on its own. Especially when Oli henchmen such as defence minister Iswor Pokhrel can publicly dare the Oli opposition to split the party, Prachanda’s public assurance that his efforts are centred around retaining party unity rings hollow. Indeed, the mystery centres around why the Nepal Communist Party does not summon itself, even at the behest of the other chairman Prachanda, and get it over it once and for all. After all, Sarita Giri could not only be ousted from her party but also be unseated from the upper house of parliament in one stroke. The strength of the Oli stance thus must be looked into seriously.

Doing so in the Nepali case does not mean prying into parliamentary numbers games. Unfortunately, we have surrendered our sovereign ability to decide for ourselves. As a matter of habit, this is where the foreign stance comes in. Allegedly, the Indians want to throw Oli out for having defied its interests in Nepal by publishing a map that includes Nepali territory currently occupied by the Indians. This explains the anti-Oli manoeuvres in the NCP. The Chinese, on the other hand — the enemy of my enemy is a friend — see Oli and party unity useful. Moreover, they would rather that the government be retained for preventing the controversial U.S. aided MCC from surfacing for a vote in parliament. Confusingly, it is precisely for the MCC to be tabled in parliament, that the US is said to be retaining Oli. It is not for nothing that parliamentary numbers no longer matter, real puppeteers, are working full time for Oli not to worry.

But, worry the NCP does. Numbers in parliament notwithstanding, ‘ceremonial’ President Bidya Bhandari outweighs the cadre numbers in parliament and party when it comes to striking a blow on the prime minister’s behalf. Oli’s opponents there have a point when they sat that party popularity is at an all-time nadir denying them a chance in any snap elections in case snap polls prove an Oli attraction. This, they say is reason enough for Oli to vacate. Oli, on the other hand, currently thrives under ostensible Indian persecution. Is it external interest or party interest that agitates the party? Such public questions form the grist of numerous analyses and egg- head debates to the point of purposeful digression. The public at large is abjectly resigned to more political plunder, whichever way. The floods have come and so the hunger and dearth of Corona, enough temptation for our preying political masters.

People’s Review Print Edition