Damaru Lal Bhandari

Kathmandu, March 19:

Former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress (Democratic) President Sher Bahadur Deuba and Dr Shashank Koirala of the Nepali Congress today debated the issues related to the possible unification of the two parties. Dr Koirala, the youngest son of legendary BP Koirala and nephew of NC President Girija Prasad Koirala, had gone to Deuba’s residence at Budhanilkhantha for a meeting “which was considerably long”. Dr Koirala, sources claimed, suggested Deuba to take the offer of unification seriously because a divided force would put the entire political process in the country at stake. Dr Koirala reportedly cited an example of the incident when Bharat Shumshere coalesced with the NC in the wake of the 1960 coup. But actual unification appears to be only as possible as it was last year when NC President Koirala made a unification call from Biratnagar on February 27, 2004, which the NC Central Working Committee meeting formally endorsed on March 3 last year.

Then, Koirala had announced a status quo ante Pokhara Convention but this was not reciprocated by Deuba in general and NC (D) leadership in particular. The NC (D) felt going for status quo ante Pokhara Convention could jeopardise the political career of too many NC (D) leaders, who were not even members of parliament when Deuba was expelled and formed a party. Claims are in place that while the inner circle around Koirala is prevailing on him to set tough condition and thus rule out any unity, upstart figures who were nowhere when Deuba was taken action against are prevailing on Deuba to insist on a formula so that they are not left out in the cold. The meeting between the two takes place in the wake of repeated calls made by Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, a founding member of the NC, to the effect that he would even go to the extent of talking to NC President Koirala to achieve the feat.

He recently told the Nepali Service of the BBC that he could take up the issue with Koirala sooner. The significance of the move is all the more enhanced since both the parties have recently conceded the existence of the other.

This became evident when the NC (D) and NC joined the five-party alliance recently, something which was not possible earlier with NC rejecting to attend any forum attended by NC (D) leaders. The series of meeting in connection with possible unification appear to have some semblance of significance since NC President Koirala has not ruled out unification. Party functionaries have time and again been suggesting that even donor communities and friendly external forces have been trying to have both the parties coalesce once and for all.