Koirala has lived such a saintly life, free from temptations of power and greed, that there is no comparison with him in contemporary politics. In a society where cynicism is fast becoming the mainstream, Koirala´s simple living and high morals are often underappreciated. We are a strange society—we hate corrupt leaders but at the same time we don´t seem to admire the honest ones. Somehow, we tend to think of simplicity and honesty as common attributes of a leader who is weak. In reality, the opposite is true: Honesty, integrity and sacrifice come only with great inner strength.
As we praise Koirala for who he is and what he stands for, we are also acutely aware that integrity, fundamental as it is, cannot by itself make for a good leader. Ideals are important but you also need to have actionable ideas. And Koirala is not someone known for intellectual range or managerial dexterity in running the party. For the latter, he needs a team of good people who will help him meet the mammoth challenges facing the country and party. A good team of colleagues who uphold ideals and work for the common good is different from a group of cronies who seek nothing but their own self-interest. We hope Koirala is wise enough to make this distinction, and discourages any cronyism from creeping into the party´s decision-making level.
We’ll have to wait a few more days for a complete picture of the NC Central Working Committee (CWC). But early signs are promising. In electing Prakash Man Singh and Chitra Lekha Yadav as general-secretary and treasurer, the NC general convention representatives have tried to strike a balance between two panels that contested the election. Singh and Yadav are among the clean faces in the NC who displayed great courage and leadership in opposing Gyanendra after he seized power through the bloodless coup of February 2005. Singh challenged Gyanendra by refusing to appear before the so-called royal commission for corruption control, and Yadav, as deputy speaker, chaired public sessions of the House, challenging the king´s rule.
Singh also brings with him the great legacy of the late Ganesh Man Singh and Yadav represents two underprivileged groups – Madhesi and women. We hope Koirala will now show magnanimity in victory and nominate an adequate number of leaders to the NC CWC from the Sher Bahadur Deuba camp. We also hope Deuba will accept defeat gracefully, something he hasn’t yet done publicly, and play his part in toning down party divisions.
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