KATHMANDU: The relationship between Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala has turned sour in the recent days.

Koirala is miffed at the PM, as the latter refused to promote Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala to Deputy Prime Minister before his India visit.

Sujata refused to join the PM’s team citing ill-health related. However, sources say she nurses a grudge against the PM, as she was not made DPM. Sources close to NC president say Sujata did not join Nepal’s delegation to India on her father’s advice. Though the foreign trip issue is no longer relevant, it did sour the relations between the PM and Koirala.

The recent remarks made

by Koirala in Biratnagar also point to the bitterness between the two. Koirala has also

expressed dissatisfaction over the expansion of the cabinet

and envoys to the UN and three countries. Moreover, the

Nepali Congress did not take part in the oath-taking ceremony, citing busy schedule.

Sources close to the PM claimed that the NC had not

formally proposed to make

Sujata Koirala the DPM. It is learnt that the PM is ready to promote Sujata if the NC makes a formal request.

Contrary to Koirala’s

request, the parliamentary party and the central committee of

the Nepali Congress had some days back clarified that the

party would not stake claim to the post of DPM.

Top NC leaders openly say they don’t want DPM’s post for NC. But Sujata has been pressing her father to take an initiative to get her promoted.

These developments couldn’t have come at a better time for the opposition party, the UCPN-Maoist, who are looking for ways to topple the government.

As the relationship between the PM and Koirala has been worsening, questions are being raised about the fate of the CPN-UML-led government. There have been reports that Koirala, himself is looking for a pretext to topple the government.

The Maoists have been saying that the UML-led government cannot handle complex issues, such as peace process, integration of Maoist combatants and writing constitution on schedule. They have been demanding an all-party government led by them. It seems that Koirala and the Maoists will be glad to see the back of this government.

However, the parliamentary party leader of the Nepali

Congress, Ram Chandra Paudel, said the NC did not want to

topple the government. He

said, “If we topple the government, it will invite a crisis.” He claims that that the government would last until the general elections were place.

Speaking at a function,

the PM also dismissed the

rumours that UML-led government would be toppled. He

said, “Maoist might be wanting to topple the government

but it is impossible to do so.”

However, the stability of

the present government is in doubt since the UCPN-Maoist, the largest party in the constituent assembly, has refused to join the government. Rather than joining the government, they have announced a nationwide protest against the government. However, observers opine that there is not much of a chance to bring down the government in near future. They say the government will last until the largest party in the government, the NC (read Koirala) wants it at the helm.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the constitution-writing process and the peace process will not bear any fruitas long as the Maoists are kept out of the government. Even top leaders of the UML have been publicly saying that the Maoists should not be isolated form these processes.

Koirala may want to topple the government, as the PM

has been acting contrary to NC president’s desires, he does not have a future plan.

Some may argue that Koirala is trying to be Prime Minister again by toppling the present government, but it seems unlikely. Koirala’s health has been worsening and he is becoming increasingly forgetful. Maoists may offer him the post of PM as a bait to topple the present government but they are likely to betray him , as they did earlier when they had offered him the post of president before the constitutional assembly election but never kept their word.

Thirdly, Maoists have been openly saying they want to head the next government as they are the largest party in the constituent assembly.

So if there is no chance of forming the next government under the leadership of Nepali Congress, why will Koirala want to topple the government?

One NC insider opines that Koirala may be wanting to increase his bargaining power with the PM. Koirala always wants to be the fulcrum of Nepali politics. He wants that the government should function according to his wishes.

Since Nepal did not consult him on many issues, his latest remarks may be reactive rather than part of a plan to bring down the government.

However, the fact remains that the three parties — UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML — should join hands to handle the vexed issues facing the nation. They should either form an all-party government or form a high-level mechanism at the earliest.