NATIONAL10 (Spotlight Weelky)]

Divided They Stand

Nepalese communist leaders agree to form a national forum, but nobody knows how to proceed

By A CORRESPONDENT

When CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal and CPN-ML leader Bam Dev Gautam embraced each other at a recent public function and called for the formation of a united left front including the Maoists, there was a sense of disbelief and joy among the representatives of more than 12 communist outfits assembled there.

Three years ago, Gautam broke away from the CPN-UML to form his own party, the CPN-ML, accusing his former colleagues of being anti-national and agents of Indian expansionism and American imperialism. Today the rivals agree that Nepal’s heavily splintered communists need to forge a loose alliance to fight against what they see is their common enemy, the Nepali Congress.

That is not an impossible quest. Seven left parties form the United Left Front in 1990 and joined the Nepali Congress-led movement to overthrow the partyless Panchayat system.

"Nepalese communist forces have shown that left unity can turn any impossibility into the realm of the possible. From Maoists to ourselves, communists are here to stay as a major force in Nepalese politics," thundered Gautam.

In response to Gautam’s call, Nepal urged his communist colleagues to develop a formula acceptable to all. "We can join a common platform by arriving at a minimum understanding," Nepal said.

After the two major communist parties proposed an alliance, smaller communist parties are worried about retaining their separate existence. Radical communist parties like the United People’s Front and the National People Front have already called on all left parties to firmly adhere to the spirit and principles of communism before developing a joint left front.

"Unity among communist parties should be based on communist ideology. We don’t want to join a left front just with an objective to grab power," said Amik Sherchan, president of the United People’s Front.

Smaller but older communist parties like Nepal Communist Party (United) nevertheless see a future for such an alliance. "If all communist parties agree to form a joint forum, we would be in a better position to advance our common agenda," said Bishnu Bahadur Manandhar, senior communist leader.

Even if there is a clear possibility of forming a left front to attain their long-term interests, Nepal’s deeply divided communists will take several years to attain their goal.

At a time when divisions are often based on personalities, rather than policies, a united front would seem to be a dream. But it is also becoming clearer that the communist leaders seem to be realizing that they cannot expect to maintain the status quo in today’s rapidly changing global environment. Therefore, even if unity seems to be just a dream, senior communist leaders feel it is still one that is worth chasing.