By Sudeshna Sarkar
Kathmandu, Sep 25 (IANS) Five years after they parted ways acrimoniously over elections, Nepal’s Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and his former protégé Sher Bahadur Deuba signed an agreement to unite their parties.
In a move that will improve their chances at the upcoming polls and deal a blow to the Maoists, Koirala’s Nepali Congress welcomed back into its fold former prime minister Deuba and other dissident leaders who were expelled in 2002.
In 2002, after Deuba’s government was being increasingly cornered by Maoist insurgents and imposed a state of emergency to combat the guerrillas, he was advised by his mentor Koirala not to extend the emergency.
However, unable to hold general elections due to growing resistance by the Maoists, Deuba chose to ignore the advice and dissolved parliament.
A furious Koirala promptly threw him out of the party for three years and Deuba retaliated by floating his Nepali Congress (Democratic) party (NCD).
Though the two remained at loggerheads, reconciliation seemed on the cards after King Gyanendra sacked Deuba and seized power with the help of the army.
As the king began trying to rein in the parties, they put their differences aside to oppose him together and a seven-party opposition alliance was formed. As the alliance came to power following the king’s ouster, talks began between the Nepali Congress and NCD for a merger.
Squabbles over power sharing prevented an early merger. However, with the constituent assembly election on Nov 22 looming large, it became imperative for the two parties to join forces.
Though Deuba and Koirala signed a formal agreement, the merger is not going to be a bed of roses. The position of the Koirala clan in the party will pose a thorny question.
Currently, Koirala’s daughter Sujata, nephew Shekhar and cousin Sushil Koirala enjoy prominent positions in the party hierarchy. Though Sushil Koirala would retain a senior post, it remains to be seen how the two younger kin fare.
There is also pressure from the Maoists to change the leadership of the party as well as government.
Maoist chief Prachanda, who ordered his party to quit the government earlier this month, has ruled out returning to the ruling alliance till the government decides to abolish monarchy.
Now he has a new condition. Prachanda is asking for a change in the government, pledging not to return as long as the old leaders remain.
A section of the Maoists is also looking for a replacement for Koirala and has threatened to bring a no-trust motion against him.