Go back to sleep, we'll wake you up when things start getting really exciting around here. As things stand now, nothing is really happening. Politicians are all up to their ears in party affairs, and no one has any time for the country.
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The southern plains and the eastern hills have been locked down now for weeks, but PM PKD has all the time in the world to helicopter over to Panchthar to attend his army's anniversary. Defence Minister Cloudy was off in western Nepal attending a Tharu council. This whole week, the Baddie brass has been busy getting organised for the three-day gala war anniversary in Nawalparasi. All the UML members of the cabinet, including the Hydro Minister, will be out of action for another week because of the party convention in Butwal. And next week Nepal's Other Army will be celebrating its own Army Day on Shivaratri. So, with all this pomp and ceremony, who is looking at ways to reduce loadshedding, unblocking blocked highways, getting some momentum back into the peace process, and writing a new constitution?
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The Rs 40 million Unified Marxist-Leninist Convention in Butwal is boiling down to a tripartite struggle between Messrs Makunay, Jhallu and Oli. More than the UML party votes themselves, it looks like it is the influence of other parties that will determine who will get to be general secretary.
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The Maobaddie favourite for the post of top job in the UML is Comrade JN, but unfortunately this very fact has become the kiss of death for poor Jhallu because the UML cadre base is seething at continued Maoist excesses in the countryside. No wonder, then, that Oli's consistent and sharp criticism of the Maoists has earned him brownie points within the party, and he is the front-runner. For his part, Comrade MKN has been waiting to see which way the wind blows and is torn between seeking the party leadership or gunning for prime ministership, especially after wily old GPK put the idea into his head this week.
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When a lot fewer weapons than anticipated were handed over to be put into UNMIN containers at the start of the peace process, Comrade Terrifico had been asked what happened to the rest of the arsenal. His answer "khola le bagayo" was widely ridiculed. And sure enough, the missing M-16s and SLRs magically resurfaced during the attack by a Rolpa warlord on the police base in Syaulibang last week. With his trusted PA being shot in the leg, senior baddie comrades are getting antsy. Which must be why PKD is soon taking delivery of a brand new $130,000 bullet-proof Landcruiser equipped with oxygen and defibrillator.
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What's with all the to-ing and fro-ing of our comrades to China? It was the very next day after Naxalites Mohan and Matrika went to Naxal to meet their Chinese host that Matrika jetted off on a weeklong visit to the Mainland. As soon as he gets back, he splits off from the main party. And then its Comrade Rainman's turn to fly off to Honkietown on Dragonair. Meanwhile, Awesome is still hasn't confirmed his attendance at the India Today do in Delhi in March even though his name is already on the website. It looks like his Delhi dates are going to clash with yet another visit to Beijing.
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Many of the invited members of the KTM dip corps did not attend the Nawalaparasi PLA extravaganza, except GTZ. The prez has also declined the PLA invite but will be taking the salute at the Mahendra-era Sainik Munch. The PLA tried to show it is no diffrent than the Nepal Army by carrying out a silly simulated comando raid on a civilian house during their anniversary in Hatikhor on Thursday just like the Nepal Army used to on Army day. Was that a message?
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If the COAS really wants to make a public relations coup the way to do it is not to have his troops fire blanks into the air on Shivaratri but to reverse his military's creeping expansionism in Tundikhel and reopen the Maitighar to Bhadrakali short cut which was closed during the war. There is no reason the army should prolong its occupation of a huge chunk of the city centre any longer.
ass(at)nepalitimes.com
