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VOL. 27, NO. 5, September 14, 2007 (Bhadra 28 2064 B.S.) |
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MAOISTS
Rising Tempo
The Maoist leaders have stepped up their pressure by threatening to quit cabinet and unleash new 'revolution'
By SANJAYA DHAKAL
While other parties are preparing for the November 22 elections, the Maoists – the crucial partner of the current eight party alliance – have been increasingly distancing themselves from the election.
Maoist chairman Prachanda, and senior leaders Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and Mohan Baidya aka Kiran have spoken in the same language and same tone in the recent days threatening to walk out from the government and launch movement from September 18.
"We are very close to walking out from the government," claimed Barshaman Pun aka Ananta, deputy commander of the Maoists.
Advancing their 22-point demands – including immediate declaration of republic and fully proportional representation based election – the Maoist leaders have been addressing their workers and activists asking them to prepare for the final revolution.
A few days ago, Prachanda talking to reporters in Nepalgunj said he was concerned that the election will end up as a 'drama.' In Baridya, he asked his party cadres to prepare for the agitation to press for their 22-point demands. Prachanda said revolution was necessary as the government had still not laid the foundation for the CA polls.
On Monday (September 10), Prachanda addressed Newa Rajya Samiti in Lalitpur and gave the same message of new revolution.
Last week, addressing a meeting of party's student wing All Nepal National Independent Student Union – Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) in Kathmandu , Prachanda directed the students to begin the movement for republican set up. He said Nepal needed "one more revolution" for establishment of true democracy
Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has called for a new understanding to create environment conducive for the polls. Addressing a function in Butwal, Dr. Bhattarai said that there should be a new understanding among the parties to abolish monarchy, and set up republic to ensure the election.
"Unless such a situation emerges, the election is not going to take place. Let everyone understand this. CA election is not going to take place. We see no such situation," he said. Dr. Bhattarai added that he sees serious conspiracies to derail the election. "We want election for republic and progress, which is not possible at present. Therefore, the election will not take place," he said.
Stating that CA agenda was first raised by Maoists, Dr. Bhattarai said CA was like their 'baby.' "Nobody loves (CA) like we do," he claimed. "Election will not take place just because the foreigners are shouting," he added. He urged the parties to seriously consider their 22-point demand or face agitation, which he said will not only be against monarchy but also parliamentary forces.
Another senior Maoist leader Kiran has said that if their demands are not met, they will unleash a storm of agitation. "We will see how Nepali Congress government will run then," he challenged.
Kiran claimed that recent agreements with some Madhesi and Janajati groups were not legitimate enough. "They are the agreements between NC's minister and the groups. We were never consulted," he said.
Kiran added that other parties, particularly the NC, were not serious enough about their demands. "They have not even called a meeting of eight parties to discuss our demands," he said.
In another indication of the seriousness of their threats, the peasants wing of the Maoists has decided to resume the process of confiscating the land of the 'landlords' which they said would be distributed to the landless people. They had stopped the seizure campaign with the signing of peace accord, which has a provision whereby Maoists had agreed to return seized lands and properties.
The Maoists moves have troubled leaders of other parties. Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and NC leader and Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel have urged the Maoists to drop their agitation plan and instead concentrate on the polls to usher in democratic republic.
