Rivals out to topple Nepalese PM

By Kedar Man Singh

KATHMANDU (AFP): Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's position remains unstable and insecure despite a cabinet reshuffle, analysts said.

Just two days after the shake-up of his Nepali Congress government intended to appease critics, opposition parties Friday demonstrated outside Koirala's offices demanding his resignation.

The opposition parties from across the political spectrum included the Nepal Communist Party-United Marxist and Leninist (NCP-UML), the rightist National Democratic Party, the National People's Front, the Nepal Workers' and Peasants' Party and the United People's Front.

They have accused Koirala of failing to check administrative corruption, maintain law and order and resolve the Maoist insurgency, which began in 1996 and has so far claimed nearly 1,600 lives.

The opposition have also claimed that Koirala and other ministers received substantial kickbacks from an 18-month leasing agreement between the national flag carrier, Royal Nepal Airlines (RNAC) and LaudaAir.

The parliamentary Public Accounts Committee and the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority had directed the RNAC not to lease the aircraft but it was pressed into international service in December.

However, the threats to Koirala's position are also coming from within the party.

Unable to pacify his own party dissidents like former premiers Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Sher Bahadur Deuba, he tried to induct two other prominent rebel MPs -- former home minister Khum Bahadur Khadka and former finance minister Ram Sharn Mahat -- into his new cabinet but they boycotted the oathtaking ceremony.

Bhattarai and Deuba both want Koirala to give up one of the two party positions he currently holds -- either the NC presidency or premiership.

"As the party president has shouldered the responsibility of prime minister without seeking the advice of friends, he will not be able to do justice to both the posts," Bhattari said.

The former premier is also unhappy with the size of the new 35-member cabinet

"A resolution to the current problems will never be possible through the formation of a jumbo-sized cabinet," he added.

Political analyst Sharda Baidya said the extent of the pressure being directed at Koriala was highlighted by the fact that opposition parties, despite being politically poles apart from each other, had joined forces to demand his resignation.

"Knowing that there are many disgruntled MPs in the ruling party, all the five opposition parties are trying to cash in on this situation against him," he said.

Among those unhappy by Koirala's cabinet reshuffle are Jaya Prakash Gupta, who was moved to the agriculture and cooperation ministry from the prestigious press, information and communication department and Ram Krishna Tamrakar, who was relieved from his post at the commerce and industry ministry and made public health minister.

Koirala's expedient move of coercing dissident MP Palten Gurung to side with him and take a ministerial berth, has also enraged many inside the Nepali Congress, a party source said.

"By hastily reshuffling the cabinet, Koirala has given the opposition parties as well as his party dissidents grounds to start a movement to dislodge him," political observer Hari C. Shrestha said.

NCP-UML General Secretary Nepal said Friday he would table a no-confidence motion against Koirala during the current parliamentary session, which opened on Thursday.

"Under such situations, all is not well for the highly ambitious Koirala," Shrestha said.