Nepalnews.com Mercantile Communications Pvt. Ltd.

Maoist roundtable conference Monday

The CPN (Maoist) is preparing to organise its much-hyped roundtable conference Monday onwards, according to party sources.

The roundtable meeting, which is aimed at forming a ‘new alliance’ of pro-republic forces, was scheduled to be held on Thursday, but was cancelled after some major invitees including the CPN (UML) showed reluctance to take part in it.

However, the Maoists had cited lack of internal preparation and health problems of party chairman Prachanda as the reasons behind the indefinite suspension of the roundtable conference. The disgruntled faction of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) led by Kishor Bishwas, Dalit and Janajati organisations and the civil society representatives are among those invited for the debate.

The Maoists have excluded three ruling allies - Nepali Congress, Nepali Congress (Democratic) and Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi).

Meanwhile, general secretary of CPN (Marxist and Leninist), Chandra Prakash Mainali, has said the Maoist roundtable conference holds no significance in the face of the fast approaching constituent assembly polls.

Addressing a convention of the party in Jhapa Saturday, Mainali said the roundtable conference could hamper the election process.

“The republican system that we all want can be established only through the CA election,” reports quoted him as saying. nepalnews.com mk Sep 15 07