BIKRAM RAI |
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There is so much back-stabbing going on that no politician trusts anyone anymore even if they have a total of 250-point agreements in writing with thumb prints duly attested by witnesses and a public notary.
The latest major falling out is between JNK and PKD with each accusing the other of being a dirty double crosser. Neither had any intention of delivering on promises, they were just using each other to get to Balua Water, or to keep someone they hated even more out of the House Built on Sand. They were so clever by half with the you-scratch-my-back-I'll-scratch-out-your-eyes-out principle that the two inevitably parted ways last week.
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PKD was mad at JN for offering to resign without his permission and, even worse, tabling an ultimatum on progress in the peace process. ("No one gives Unser Fuhrer ultimata and that sort of thing, get that?") So, Awesome leaked to the press that he had another "breakthough" proposal up his sleeves, and the press duly reported this as "breaking news". The breakthrough was PKD's agreement to integrate only 7,000 PLA, give the rest a 5 lak golden handshake, make four senior gorillas colonels in the Nepal Army, etc. But, as with umpteen proposals before this, Comrade Lotus Flower suddenly went cold on the breakthrough plan. JN felt betrayed and trotted off to Shit-all Nibas to tender his resignation to the prez.
Whatever he may say in public about backing BRB as PM, that is the last thing PKD would like to see. He would rather have Lion Brave as PM, and has the NC's four-time PM wagging his tail and waving his paw. Till press time on Thursday it was looking like Share Bahadur was in no mood to share the PM-ship, especially if BRB got the job first. The question on everyone's mind now is whether Dahal will do to B Bhattarai what Girija did to KP Bhattarai way back when. Never know with these bahuns.
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So it looks like the black plate wallahs have declared a nationwide transporters strike if their 41-pt demand is not met. Among the demands is that the constitution be written on time, so we can safely conclude that there will be no public transport for the next decade or so. But the main gripe of the microscopic bus owners is that the Badis are getting to import taxis duty free. "If Badis can have tax-exempt taxis, we Mao-badis should also have them," they say.
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And finally, @anqrs just tweeted: "When asked who should be next candidate for PM Prachanda said 'BRB' (Be Right Back) but everyone confused it for Babu Ram Bhattarai."