This has reference to the news story “Oli elected prime minister with 338 votes” (THT, Oct. 12, Page 1). My deceased father used to say politics makes strange bedfellows. He was not wrong. Royalist, rightist and republican leftists, stung by ultra-nationalism fever, joined forces with other splinter groups to defeat an old democratic party - Nepali Congress. One of the splinter groups which vacillated between power and ‘pahichan’ like a pendulum until the eleventh hour too decided to go for the first one. Who cares about ‘pahichan’ or identity when power is within the grasp? However, the entire script appears to have been written in heaven. Sober Sushil Koirala, it seems, was egged into the field, proposed and seconded strangely by his ambitious colleagues both of whom had their own individual prime ministerial dreams. This, too, seems to be a handiwork of divine intervention. Could the loss of the old man be in any way attributed to the name of his party? The Bard of Avon immortalized his query: What’s in a name? It seems there is a lot at stake in the name. Could it be a coincidence that the Congress Party is now destined to the opposition bench? Or is it the result of a mysterious interplay in heaven?

J. Talchabhadell, Bhaktapur

Time will tell

What I understand is that politics of any country must uplift a big or small portion of society. In hours of cogitation I always used to conclude that the politics of Nepal was a dirty game played among those

people who always prefer to violate the set rules. Following this, I felt a jolt of our new constitution which has forced me to rethink about political affairs and business with right attitude. But, immediately after the successful promulgation of the new constitution our country is confronting the street protests and undeclared blockade by discontented agitating parties and our close neighbor with whom the Nepal Oil Corporation has reached a deal till 2017. The new Constitution of Nepal has

triggered nationwide shortage of petroleum products and other essential commodities which has made our daily life difficult. Here comes KP Oli winning the prime ministerial race defeating the incumbent NC boss. The general public are in support of the government compromising with their livelihood and luxuries. Now, the question is: Can we rely on Oli’s leadership? With his honesty to the nation and the people what can be expected is that he may be able to lead the country towards prosperity bringing all on board the political mainstream. Let’s hope that the new PM will be able to resume uninterrupted supply of petroleum products and other commodities from the south without compromising the national interests and self-dignity of the Nepali people. Time will tell if PM Oli proves himself as a successful leader to be remembered in history or simply a run of the mill.

Sarala Karki Pokharel, via e-mail