Waxing And Waning of Girija Koirala

Siddhi B. Ranjitkar

Former Prime Minister (for a number of terms) and Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala has not only reached the matured age of 87 years but also has traveled a long way of the political life climbing up and down of his political career. After the successful dethroning of the despotic monarchy, some people even has compared him with the political figure such as Nelson Mandela and even started proposing him for the Nobel Peace Prize. However, not even two years have passed since he has reached the climax of his political career, he has again come down to earth with the political maneuvers for the gains of his families and friends.

On October 12, 2009, Prime Minister Madhav Nepal elevated Sujata Koirala to Deputy Prime Minister to keep father Koirala happy, as the Prime Minister’s position has been shaky without keeping the Koirala family members happy. Father Girija Prasad Koirala has been putting pressure on Madhav Nepal for making her daughter Sujata Deputy Prime Minister even before his customary visit to India in August 2009. However, Madhav Nepal did not promote Sujata to Deputy Prime Minister. Sujata in turn has shown her displeasure at Madhav Nepal refusing to join in his entourage to the India visit on the pretext of being sick. Finally, to consolidate his position Madhav Nepal appointed Sujata to Deputy Prime Minister against the will of the Central Committee members of the Nepali Congress and the leader of the Parliamentary Party of the Nepali Congress. They have even charged the Prime Minister of appointing Sujata to Deputy Prime Minister not following the democratic values and norms, as Madhav Nepal has bypassed the Central Committee and the Parliamentary Party of the Nepali Congress for appointing Sujata to Deputy Prime Minister.

On October 14, 2009, members of the Central Committee of the Nepali Congress at the meeting chaired by Acting President Sushil Koirala have attacked father Girija Koirala for not even consulting the Central Committee and the Parliamentary Party of the Nepali Congress for making Sujata Deputy Prime Minister. They have complained that Party President Girija Koirala has acted against democratic norms and values promoting his daughter to Deputy Prime Minister without the decision of the Nepali Congress party on this matter.

Daughter Sujata has fired back to the members of the Central Committee not agreed on her promotion to Deputy Prime Minister saying that they have reached such high positions with the favor of her father then they have been fussy about she getting favor for being Deputy Prime Minister. She has actually fought against Parliamentary Party leader Ram Chandra Poudel saying he has reached so high position in the party only because of her father’s favor, the same man has been opposing her appointment to Deputy Prime Minister, if all of them could receive the favor of her father why not she.

The Constitution of Nepali Congress empowers the President to nominate any person of his/her likings to the members of the Central Committee of the party. So, these guys have been the members of the Central Committee only because Party President Girija Koirala has appointed them.

In June 2009, Nepali Congress President Girija Koirala sending a team of Nepali Congress members under the leadership of his daughter Sujata to join in the Madhav Nepal’s government has incurred the wrath of Acting President Sushil Koirala and other members of the Central Committee of the Nepali Congress particularly Ram Chandra Poudel. Acting President Sushil Koirala even said that he would resign from the position of the Acting President if Sujata were joining the government. However, Sushil Koirala and other members of the Central Committee could not do anything except for grumbling while Sujata has continued to enjoy the ministerial portfolio with the blessing of her father.

Girija Koirala has been instrumental in persuading the President to directly writing a letter to the Chief of Army Staff and ordering him to stay on in the job abusing the Interim Constitution of Nepal of 2007 ultimately bringing the current political deadlock. Claiming to be the democrat, President of Nepali Congress Girija Koirala has not hesitated to push the President to commit the most heinous crime of abusing the constitution that he has vowed to safeguard when he took the oath of office of President.

Members of the legislature belonging to the United Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-Maoist) have been taking the legislature hostage and blocking the regular business of it for almost a month demanding to debate the unconstitutional move of the President on directly writing a letter to the Chief of Army Staff. Leaders of the Nepali Congress including Girija Koirala have been deadly against debating about the President’s move on directly writing a letter to the Chief of Army Staff saying it is constitutional. It has been a laughing stock for most of the people but very serious to institutionalizing democratic norms and values in Nepal, as the leaders of the Nepali Congress claimed to be the democratic have been abusing the democratic values and norms and causing the current political deadlock.

Girija Koirala could have reached even higher political status than he has achieved immediately after the fall of the king in 2007 if he has wisely managed the political situation brought by the elections for the Constituent Assembly-cum-legislature held on April 10, 2009. Voters have placed his Nepali Congress (NC) party in the second position after the then CPN-Maoist. However, he has refused to turn over the power to the party that has received the mandate from the voters. His unsuccessful political maneuvers to stay on in the power have gradually declined his grandeur political status. He has taken four months to pass on the power to the Chairman of the then CPN-Maoist Prachanda.

Girija Koirala deserved to be the first President of Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal; however, he failed to win the trust of the Maoists and failed in his bid to be the first President. His tricky politics and his love for the monarchy could not convince the Maoists of he would truly be a ceremonial President. So, Maoists refused to support him for the presidency. Girija Koirala took revenge on the Maoists for this matter conspiring against the Maoist government.

The worst thing Girija Koirala has done is not let his party members to join the Prachanda government and cooperate with him on institutionalizing democratic values and norms, expediting the ongoing peace process and writing a new constitution. He has rather opted for working to tear down the Prachanda government. His party members of the legislature has taken the legislature hostage demanding the return of the property of the leaders of the NC seized by the Maoists during the conflict, and then engaged the cadres in creating violence and instability to topple the Prachanda government.

Ultimately, showing his infallible love for even the remnant of the monarchy, Girija Koirala has succeeded to bring down the Prachanda acting terribly undemocratic for saving the job of the Chief of Army Staff: the last remnant of the monarchy, for a few months as he was retiring then. Prime Minister Prachanda resigned on May 3, 2009 protesting the unconstitutional move of the ceremonial President on directly writing a letter to the Chief of Army Staff and ordering him to stay on in the job overturning the decision of the Prime Minister on firing the Chief of Army Staff for being undisciplined and not following the government’s orders. Thus, Girija Koirala has successfully downgraded his political status achieving his goal of overthrowing the Maoist-led government.

However, we need to credit Girija Koirala for reaching the 12-point understanding with Maoists and then bringing down the king. After Gyanendra took over the absolute power in his hands on February 1, 2005, the then alliance of seven political parties under the leadership of Girija Koirala fighting against the regressive steps of Gyanendra has seen no alternative to joining hands with the Maoists that have been fighting for making Nepal a republic for jointly fighting against the absolute monarchy. Girija Koirala contacted with Maoist Chairman Prachanda and reached the historic 12-point understanding with Maoists on November 22, 2005.

In April 2006, the joint mission of the Seven-Party Alliance and the Maoists have successfully topple the despotic King Gyanendra, and has made Girija Koirala the Prime Minister and the Head of State after the reinstated parliament suspended Gyanendra. Then the interim government headed by Girija Koirala has signed a comprehensive peace Agreement (CPA) with the leader of the then CPN-Maoist Prachanda, bringing the Maoist combatants to the temporary camps under the supervision of the UNMIN effectively ending the conflict and bringing peace in the country.

Girija Koirala attained the highest possible political status after ending the conflict and bringing the Maoist combatants effectively under the control of the government. Many Nepalis have even equated him with the leader of South Africa Nelson Mandela; some of them have even seen the possibility of proposing him for the Noble Peace Prize. Thereafter, his political maneuvers have been worst not to mention not matching with the Mandela’s political maneuvers.

Forgetting about his past political maneuvers, democratic minded Nepalis have wished him to follow the path taken by Nelson Mandela. However, instead of following the footprints of Mandela, he actually has followed his own footprints making him worse possible political leader so far Nepal has produced.

In 1990s Girija Koirala has successfully sidelined his archrival Krishna Prasad Bhattarai defeating him in the general elections held for the parliament in 1990. He also did not listen to Supreme Leader Ganesh Man Singh, but followed his own path of benefiting his family members and relatives. His actions have made Ganesh Man Singh to leave the Nepali Congress in the final days of his life. Girija’s family oriented-politics has brought him down after three years in power. Thereafter, his politics has been dirtiest possible until he signed the 12-point understanding with the Maoists.

On the one hand Nepalis would not forget about his contribution to bringing an end to the conflict on the other hand Nepalis would also not forget about his undemocratic political maneuvers and would probably not forgive him for causing the current political deadlock that has been hindering the writing of a new constitution and consequently institutionalizing democracy in Nepal.

October 17, 2009.