For someone whose guerrilla name is 'Awesome', it is surprising that ever since he became PM, PKD has become a bit of a whiner. He whines all the time, and threatens to take all his toys and go home whenever he doesn't get what he wants. For someone who took his party to victory, attained his life's ambition of replacing the king, why is he so insecure? Must be cuz the head that wears the crown is always uneasy.

***

Despite having defused tensions within his party during the cadre meeting, PKD had internal intelligence that his mentor, The Doc, was again plotting mutiny in the central committee, so he decided to take the wind out of the parachutes of the ex-gorillas by pre-empting criticism that he had gone soft. The other thing bothering the Lotus Flower seems to have been the disgruntlement of the MJF, which is under pressure from its own hardliners led by JP, to leave the government. So to keep the Forum in its toes he says he's going to quit. But PKD better be careful about crying wolf too often because at some time in future when he says he wants to leave the government he leads, and he really means it, no one will believe him.

***

While throwing his tantrum in Dhangadi this week, PKD also accused a) GPK, b) the civil service and c) the internationals of trying to drive him out of office. About Girjau, he's probably right because that's his job as an opposition figure. But with the bureaucracy it's actually the other way around because his party is ruling directly and bypassing the civil service. In every ministry that his party controls, like information, labour, tourism, finance, etc, it is the Maoist cadre who dictate policy now, the bureaucracy is nowhere in the picture.

Even in the ministry that is not under a Maoist minister, like the home ministry, the PMO is regularly dealing directly with the district admin without bothering to inform Homeless Minister Leftist God, who is said to be livid. Just as Upendra is angry about PKD's foreign adviser sending instructions directly to Nepali ambassadors abroad without informing his ministry.

About the internationals, can the PM really blame them for being distrustful? They are getting fed up with a country's leader who lies through his teeth, keeps promising industrial security and his krantikaris keep doing just the opposite. And for a party elected to lead the govt his cadres are still behaving as if they need to keep threatening to murder or maim anyone who doesn't agree with them, or who refuse to fork over the moolah. Baddie dudes just prove they are their party's own worst enemy.

It is not clear if Dahal's radical remarks will quell the criticism in the central committee. The prime minister has the trust of the people who voted for him, but his position is shaky because the 35-member central committee is split exactly in half over support for him, well, not exactly because you can't have a half of odd number. But Cloudy is apparently staying neutral in the feud, so it is 17-17.

***

Just after accusing GPK of trying to oust him, guess what PKD does: he goes off to Maharjganj to pay the old man a visit in hospital. Comrade Fierce reportedly seconded the doctor's orders that the 84-yar-old slow down and not run around so much. GP's reply: "You start behaving like a legitimate political party and I'll stop running around the country." Touch?.

Makunay came back from his latest junket to Brazil to find out that he had been plunked into the high-level committee for government coordination. Ever since his plane landed, Nepal was in a foul mood because he has to answer to Deb Gurung. MKN says he'll only serve if it is the PM or DPM who are in the committee. My-my, aren't we protocol conscious?

ass(at)nepalitimes.com