Deuba in no mood to claim NC top post at the moment

Former Prime Minister and senior leader of Nepali Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba today revealed the dilemma he is in these days when he said, referring to NC party president Girija Prasad Koirala, that it won't be practical to "throw an 86 years old leader like Girija Babu out of the leadership" right now.

Deuba, who is known for his gaffes and blunt remarks, said this when a reporter asked him at a press meet in eastern town of Biratnagar whether NC would again choose Koirala as the party president.

Deuba is learnt to have a cold war with Koirala following the bitter intra-party contest over the post of party's parliamentary leader. Deuba's hopes to become the next party president after ageing Koirala steps down was shattered by this dispute.

Having joined a chorus of party leaders including Koirala in attacking the Maoist led government and its agendas, especially army integration, Deuba said that by not implementing past agreements and understandings the Maoists are again becoming "the main obstacle in the peace process".

He said that the integration of Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army (NA) is not like two parties uniting, referring to the unification of two factions of Nepali Congress before the elections.

"The army integration would be done as per the comprehensive peace agreement," Deuba said, adding that even though the [Maoist] guerillas who meet the qualification and other military standards can be inducted into the Nepal Army, but the army integration can't be done like the way "we forge unification between parties".

Although he didn't say it directly, the remarks echoed Koirala's views against what he called "wholesale" integration of Maoist combatants into Nepal Army.

In the same breath, Deuba also said "army integration" doesn't mean that all Maoist combatants should be inducted into the army and that there is also the option of integrating Maoist combatants into other security apparatus.

In what appeared to be his bid for the chief attack dog of his party, he also blamed Maoists of trying to thrust their totalitarian rule in the name of people's republic a la Cuban style.

He also said that the nationwide "revival campaign" was started by Nepali Congress to dissuade the Maoists against it

Deuba also said the longevity of the present government entirely depends on the Maoist's conduct, adding that NC won't pull down the government but "Maoist themselves would cause it to collapse". Deuba is in Biratnagar, Koirala's hometown, with other party leaders to lay the grounds for the nationwide 'revival campaign 'started by NC. nepalnews.com ag Oct 26 08

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