As reported in Kathmandu Post: GIRJA SHOULD FOLLOW MR MANDELA AND RETIRE.
Only a few people may disagree that Girija Prasad Koirala, President of the Nepali Congress (NC), sacrificed the prime of his life for democracy but a good many people agree that Koirala has a fallacious assumption that he is the party.Koirala is the only lucky guy to have assumed the country?s highest executive position for six years after 1990. The octogenarian leader has given the mighty leadership to the party for over a decade. His undeterred confidence and plain living are notable.A politician at the age of 82 is a school of politics in himself. He is a perennial source of inspiration for upcoming generations that want to learn the ABC of politics. A leader of his age should give up the race and be a statesman.
Following the demise of Ganeshman Singh and "political catalepsy" of Krishna Prasad Bhattarai,?two senior-most leaders in the NC-troika?Koirala is the only one who has remained the oldest leader in the NC. The more eligible and visionary leaders in the NC now seem to have fallen into a dilemma: Whether or not to tell straight to Koirala to stay above the race. They want an honorable handover of the leadership to the so-called young second-generation leaders. Ironically, the "young" leaders are already over 60 years old.But it is much depressing to see that some leaders, who have not yet been able to develop their own independent political career in the NC, are still encouraging Koirala to contest presidency. Some leaders, despite years of opportunity, never thought of building their own political image but always got engaged in either fuelling the intra-party conflict or amassing huge property. Those, also responsible for dividing the NC, still want another rift in the party. They seem to have realized their political incompetence and want other competent leaders to leave the party.
It is ridiculous to hear Koirala asking his sycophants to misinterpret the party statute that in fact bars anybody from contesting party presidency for more than two terms. His prot?g? Ramchandra Poudel, at least dared to write a note of dissent. Poudel?s protest in defending Clause 44 of the NC statute, which states that the amendments made during the party?s 10th General Convention in Pokhara in 2001 would be applied retrospectively, is in fact a demand for respect of democratic values within the party. Clause 41 (17) of the party statute added by the 10th General Convention had clearly said that no one could become party president for more than two terms?whether in district or at the center level.The leader, who misinterprets his own party?s statute, should have, in fact, no right to blame the King for misinterpreting Article 127 of the Constitution. The NC decision has attempted to bring home a strong message to people that the one who is powerful has the right to understand anything on his own. King Gyanendra proved it, so did Koirala.And most significantly, it?s the people who find it hard to believe that Koirala is fighting for broader democracy since he has violated democratic norms within his party. What can people expect from the leader who is still fighting to become President even at the age of 82? Koirala must have understood the erosion of public faith in political parties and their leaders by the presence of people during the Ratna Park-centric protest programs. And he should not further ridicule the parliamentary system and democratic values.Even the international community would get awestruck to hear that the oldest party in Nepal seems to have failed to groom its leaders and is still helplessly saying it has no alternative to Koirala, the oldest man in Nepali politics. If the NC has no alternative to Koirala, it should seriously think about its future because the entire party may collapse.
Koirala should understand that a leader becomes a statesman after he leaves his party posts and starts leading the entire nation but never gets confined to a small coterie within the party. Nelson Mandela, a freedom fighter in Africa, has become more popular and statesmanlike after he left the party post.
