| Username |
Post |
| ashu |
Posted
on 03-May-01 12:47 AM
Hi all,
PM Girija is expected to resign today.
The CIAA has finally called upon him to give a "bayaan"
about his role in the Lauda Air Kanda.
So, who's going to be the next PM?
Krishna Prasad Bhattarai -- or so the rumor-mill goes.
Meantime, here's a cast of characters in the Lauda Kanda:
1. GPK:
Nepal's PM.
Alleged to have authorized RNAC's buying of a Lauda Air ko jet-plane WITHOUT due legal process. Without such a due legal
process, the chances of misusing national dhukuti to buy
the plane are higher. As such, could be formally
charged with misusing national funds.
2. Sujata Koirala
GPK's NOT-divorced-from-her-German-husband daughter whose real occupation is, ahem, social service. Widely considered to be
the most powerful, emotionally vindictive woman in Nepal. Father rarely says 'no' this daughter's "jiddhi-wal" requests. Struck terror in many Congressi's hearts by throwing temper-tantrums
at the Pokhara Convention in January 2001.
Accountable to no one.
3. Tarini Dutta Chautat
The luckless Koirala sycophant from Western Nepal who was the Minister of Civil Aviation -- the parent office of the RNAC -- at the time of the plane purchase. Did the Koirala pariwar's bidding, and now is now under investigation. Is bitter that the Koiralas have abandoned him. Has handed his passport over to the
CIAA. Widely considered to be a sacrificial lamb to keep
the Koiralas out of trouble.
4. Hari Bhakta Shrestha
A mamuli bureaucrat who had been catapulted to the head of the RNAC at the time of the plane purchase. Authorized the illegal
purchase of the plane from RNAC's side. Now in jail for his failure to post bail of Rs. 5 karod rupees. Claims that he is innocent. Widely considered to be a sacrificial lamb to keep
the Koiralas out of trouble.
5. Tirtha Lal Shrestha
A former mamuli bureaucrat who was a member of the RNAC Board at the time of the purchase. Got the RNAC ko job as an "aseerbaad"
of the Daughter Koirala. Now in jail for his failure to post bail
of Rs. 5 karod rupees. Claims that he is innocent and that
he did what he was told to do. Widely considered to be a sacrificial lamb to keep the Koiralas out of trouble.
6. Dinesh Lal Shrestha
Lauda Air's dalal (commision agent) in Kathmandu. Is the businessman who stood to gain the most from the corrupt Lauda deal. Heads the ICTC -- a construction-company-turned business house that's behind the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Info Com ISP provider and so on. A member of the St. Xavier's School
legendary Class of 1975 (it's the class that has produced a number of Nepal's top, young businessmen). Unusally smart and
is a first-class charmer. Has eluded official probes so far, but CIAA may summon him up for investigations too. Like Sujata, seems to have covered his tracks really well. Bharat Jangam, the self-styled anti-corruption activist, has been relentlessly after
DLS.
Enjoy the Lauda Opera as it unfolds on Nepalnews.com :-)
issued in public interest
oohi
ashu
|
| ashu |
Posted
on 04-May-01 02:25 AM
People around Girija are not letting him resign.
Not yet, anyway.
Why?
Two reasons.
First, if GPK resigns, then who will succeed him as the next
PM from his camp of NC?
Mahesh Acharya?
Shailaja Acharya?
Ram Chandra Poudel?
Who?
There is much wrangling for power WITHIN the Koirala camp
now.
The last thing these people want is see their NC nemesis Krishna
Prasad Bhattarai or Sher Bahadur Deuba back in power within
the NC politics. As such, they are adopting a classic
'dog-in-the-manger' policy.
So, hanging around Koirala, their myopic strategy is:
1) Urge Koirala NOT to resign so that their own political power
stays with them at least for a few more days.
2) Paint the CIAA as an un-democratic entity propped up by anti-Koirala elements. My favorite person for the Award of the Most Laughably Filp-Flopping Nepali Politician in History -- Sushri Shailaja Acharya -- is on record for saying that the present attacks against GPK are attacks against Nepali democracy itself, and that there is this big "conspiracy" against him.
Well done, Sushri Acharya!!
3) Challenge the authority of CIAA by saying something to the effect of: "Who the hell are you, CIAA, to even ask questions about the Cabinet's decisions"?
In other words, by this logic, Nepal's Cabinet's decisions are beyond any questioning by the CIAA or for that matter anyone else. So much for power to the people!
Let's see how things develop.
oohi
ashu
|
| diwas |
Posted
on 04-May-01 03:02 AM
One possible reason for not letting GPK resign could lay in the fear of those around him who could be implicated in this and other previous scandals. If GPK regime is shaken up, almost all of Congressi clan could be uprooted.
-dk
|
| Biswo |
Posted
on 04-May-01 11:14 AM
Girija is a loser, but he wants to bark back at the winner before
running away.
If Girija's cohorts think he is not yet indicted , so there is no
reason to resign, I guess that is fine. CIAA may just deliver
their wish some day next month.Will that be a better timing for
him to quit ?
|
| ashu |
Posted
on 07-May-01 10:42 AM
I am happy to be critical of Girija and his brought-from-Birat Nagar company. If being so earns me the wrath of some Congressi, well, so be it. My being critical of Girija does not mean that
I have great hopes for his rivals -- both within and outside of NC.
I just find it odd and sad that while Nepali PEOPLE have such
potential for anything positive, it's the Nepali POLITICIANS
who always suceed in thwarting/delaying/killing the collective aspirations of achievably better lives for all in Nepal. Our democracy has made political parties and their leaders too unaccountably powerful at the expense of the voters, and
that's the most frustrating part about Nepali democracy.
Also, GPK has been the PM of Nepal for the almost last of eight years. In the last eight years he has done his best to drain
hope, squash optimism and weaken independent institutions in the country. This guy is no builder of institutions -- he only weakens them.
Yuba Raj Ghimire, the editor of Kantipur, has been writing unusally bold editorials, asking for GPK's resignation. So
have other writers. The GPK saga has sucked up much energy, and
that's sad.
oohi
ashu
|
