Kathmandu, October 21
On Wednesday evening, Nepal’s media outlets were abuzz with news that a group of MPs registered a proposal to impeach the chief of the country’s corruption Ombudsman Lok Man Singh Karki who, despite being accused of suppressing the Second People’s Movement, was nominated to the post in 2013.
The move took everyone by surprise as the plot was hatched in secrecy, and executed cleanly, reminiscent of the PLA attacks on government installations during the conflict era. This time also, the brawn for the ‘surgical attack on Lok Man’ came from the now disbanded PLA, and the brain behind it was not Prachanda, it was Oli.
According to sources, Prime Minister Prachanda was completely in the dark, and got to know about the registration of the proposal only on Thursday morning. It is to be noted that MP Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, the main proposer of the motion, is also a former PLA, and Speaker Onsari Gharti, who accepted the dossier, has also fired shots wearing the Maoist army’s camouflage. Minister Janardan Sharma, who played the most important role in coordinating the ‘attack’, probably the single biggest by the Maoists since the peace process, with Oli is also an ex-PLA commander.
According to sources, energy minister Sharma told Maoist MPs to sign a paper to support his bid to expand transmission lines in the country, and they obliged, without understanding the motives of Sharma, who used the signatures to register the impeachment motion.
The ‘surgical strike’ had several ramifications:
1.
Bombard the HQ
The former PLAs discussed the impeachment motion with Prachanda, but did not wait for him to give his go-ahead. They decided to go ahead with it with the knowledge that Prachanda would be reluctant to support them, but would have no option but to do so in the end.
2.
Shockwaves in the coalition
After news spread that Maoist MPs had also supported the impeachment motion, shock waves were felt in the ruling coalition. The Nepali Congress believed that the Maoists, who had earlier quit the UML government with aid from NC, are back in business with Oli’s party.
3.
Advantage UML
Following the ‘strike’ the UML and Oli have been able to cash in on public sentiments, and to show to the people that it was the party that ultimately played the decisive role when its main rival the Nepali Congress remained silent.
5.
Lok Man
When Karki returned home from Canada on Wednesday night, he did not have faintest of a clue that the former PLA were out to get him sacked. Karki, who was reportedly going to kick start corruption investigation against UML leaders, now remains suspended.
