We know the sulking Koiralas would not see reason, let alone realize the damage they have inflicted on the nation by sabotaging the PM’s bilateral visit. At a time when the government delegation is scheduled to negotiate with the hard-nosed Indian officials, the Sujata tantrum will only help the southern neighbor. The interest of the nation has been trampled upon by NC president’s urge to show who controls the levers of the government and his daughter’s not-so-covert ambition. A shameful act on every count.
The problem with these two Koiralas is that they do not know where their antics should end. This time they have taken it too far. The father-daughter duo has already been largely successful in reducing the NC party to a rubber stamp of the Koirala family. The NC president has once again shown how weak he is when it comes to his daughter. Sujata Koirala does not even deserve a ministerial berth, let alone deputy prime ministership. But by timing the demand to elevate his daughter in the cabinet to that of an official tour to a foreign country, the senior Koirala has resorted to blackmailing. He is as responsible as his daughter is in pulling out of a scheduled tour. It will be far-fetched to even imagine that the NC will demand an explanation from him, something which is necessary. So it should not come as a surprise to find the other NC senior leaders remaining mute as ever and trying to make some customary noise of opposition.
But the PM should not act as helpless as the NC leaders. True, PM Nepal is dependent on the support of the NC (besides a few other parties) for the survival of his coalition government. So, after he returns home, he might think he faces a tough choice. But, we believe, nothing less than punishing Sujata for her silly act would suffice. The senior Koirala also must be shown that there are limits that he cannot cross and norms that he has to abide by. Knowing Koirala, he might go to the extent of engineering the downfall of the government but the PM must not give in to his blackmail. So, he must sack Sujata and right the wrong.
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