Resignation

This will be fairly short. I was out tonight at Deborah’s for dinner and I’ve had a few drinks. Khem drove me home through quiet and totally normal streets so it would appear that all is well. My grey matter, however, isn’t in such great shape.

The Prime Minister resigned this afternoon and pretty much every political party holding seats in parliament has quit. Once the Maoists joined the ranks of the deserting parties, the rest of them came back. The way things sit right now, nobody knows what’s going on, who’s running the show, or what the future holds. I’m hoping that the confusion will keep the protesters out of the streets.

According to the news on the radio tonight (which Khem translated as he drove me home) they have decided to let the courts decide if the PM has done anything illegal. All the remaining political issues (e.g. who the hell is going to run the country) will be decided in parliament, which will reconvene next Thursday. Khem seems convinced that under the circumstances there is no reason to protest so things will remain quiet. We can only hope that the Nepalese public shares this point of view.

Strangely, I sort of rekindled my relationship with Nepal tonight. I was worried about seeing Khem (my former boss) for the first time since I quit. However, I had a great time with both Deborah and him, and I think the door has been left open for me to work for him again if I ever have the inclination. (I'm not expecting this to happen anytime soon, but one never knows.) Listening to him and Deborah talking about the college gave me a renewed sense of optimism for them and the work they’re doing. It was also lovely to be at Deborah’s house in the suburbs where the air is a bit fresher. I really enjoyed exploring a new part of the city as I found my way up there, and again on the way home. It’s not like I’m going to cancel my flight home or anything, but I did definitely feel better about being here than I have in weeks.

Okay, I’ll sign off for now. I’ll write tomorrow when I’m better rested, a little more sober, and have a better handle on what’s going on. So far so good.