NATIONAL 1 (Spotlight Weekly)]

Defaming Itself

As Maoist rebels start disobeying their party command, the government comes under pressure to act tough

By BHAGIRATH YOGI

Nepali Congress cadres listening to their senior leaders at a mass meeting in Nepalgunj on Sunday got a clear message that there was no love lost between ruling party president Girija Prasad Koirala and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Refuting charges from the top party brass that the government was giving unnecessary concessions to the Maoist rebels, the prime minister said his government will not bow down in front of the insurgents. "The government will not compromise on the issue of constitutional monarchy, multiparty democracy and present constitution with the rebels," declared Deuba.

Referring to the demands for a republic state by the Maoists, Deuba said, "We donít want to turn Nepal into another Afghanistan". Earlier, former prime minister and Nepali Congress President Koirala blamed the Deuba government for failing to resolve the problem of Maoist insurgency despite full support from the ruling party. "If the talks proceed in this way, the (problem of) insurgency will never be resolved," he added. As the ruling party leadership is exerting pressure upon the government to act tough against the rebels, Prime Minister Deuba doesnít want to go to such a distance that could push the rebels out of the negotiation process, said sources.

The disenchantment in the ruling party could be understood as the Maoist cadres continued their spree of extortion, loot, abduction, burning down of vehicles and even murder, enjoying the lax security situation after the informal truce observed as soon as Deuba assumed office. "The present anarchy is an outcome of lack of a code of conduct to be agreed by both the parties," said Shobhakar Budhathoki, a human rights activist who has served as a UN volunteer in regions of conflict like Kosovo and East Timor.

Analysts say the recent terror being spread by the Maoists may be an indication of the grip the party leadership is losing over its cadres. Addressing a function on Saturday, leader of the main opposition UML, Madhav Kumar Nepal, quoted top Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai as telling him during a recent telephone conversation that the Maoist guerrillas and ëpeopleís militiaí were no more under the partyís control. According to Nepal, Dr. Bhattarai said the underground party has launched a special campaign to control the growing irresponsible and anarchic behavior among its cadres.

Despite reports of growing differences within the Maoist party, officials are optimistic that the rebels will finally agree to ësafe landí their six-year-old insurgency. "We hope at least half of the rebels would agree to pursue a peaceful course," said Premier Deuba. Agreed Narahari Acharya, one of the members of the government negotiation team, "I am optimistic that within the next six months, theMaoist party will prepare itself to join the political mainstream and contest parliamentary elections."

As the Maoists are losing their ëpopular appealí due to their anarchic behavior, giving up arms and contesting elections would not be an easy choice. But growing international opinion against terrorism and Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singhís recent description of them as terrorists is likely to force the Maoists to adopt a more pragmatic path as they prepare to sit for third round of negotiations with the government later this week. "If they lose this opportunity, the Maoists will have to pay a heavy price," declared Prime Minister Deuba in Nepalgunj. At the same time, critics say the entire country may have to pay the price for the seeds of hatred, violence and ethnic conflict already sown by the rebels during their nearly six-year-old insurgency.