Slap! Slap!

by PRAVAT J GURUNG

FROM ISSUE # 168 (December 2009) | IN THIS ISSUE
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NITESH MATHEMA

First it was former Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation, Matrika Yadav, in the limelight for locking up one of his ministry staff in the toilet 'to teach him a lesson' and now its Karima Begum's turn. Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Begum slapped Chief District Officer Durga Prasad Bhandari at the district administration office for sending an old vehicle to pick her up from Simara airport. The National Government Employees Federation staged a demonstration outside the Ministry in protest. State minister Begum's party Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik also termed the incident 'unfortunate'. It's a shame that a person holding high office stoops to the act of slapping a government official.

Parliament is finally in session after five months of obstruction from the Unified CPN (Maoist) over the President's allegedly unconstitutional move and civilian supremacy. The central committee meeting of the UCPN (Maoist) decided to allow parliament to run – for just three days – to pass the budget. Ministries and government officials have been running low on funds and this decision by the opposition party has come as a relief to the Madhav Nepal-led government. But the UCPN (Maoist) have also declared a fresh stir for 'civilian supremacy' including publicity campaigns, protest rallies and sit-in programs, culminating in a three-day general strike next month.

Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala, on the other hand, came back after a week-long medical check-up in Singapore. Koirala, who has been suffering from chronic respiratory diseases and is troubled by recurrent pneumonia, had left for Singapore on 14 November. He had hired an air ambulance to fly to Singapore along with daughter and Deputy Prime Minister Sujata Koirala and a team of Nepali doctors. The government of Nepal has provided 2 crores for GP Koirala's medical treatment. As soon as he came back, PM Nepal visited the NC leader and according to Raghu Pant, the PM's political advisor, Koirala reiterated his stance that the current government should stay on until the constitution is written. UCPN Maoist Chairman, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, had also gone to Singapore to discuss the current political deadlock with GP Koirala. He met Koirala again upon the latter's return to Kathmandu. Word had it that ex-PM Koirala also met with ex-crown prince Paras Shah, who resides in Singapore, but the rumour was refuted.

Disclaimer: This column is an update on political happenings and does not represent the views of either the writer or WAVE Magazine.