Coalition partners decry Maoist strategy

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: A meeting of 15 political parties of Madhav Kumar Nepal-led government today took strong exception to the Maoists’ latest policy of revolution and concluded that it was against the new constitution and peace process.

All political parties strongly criticised the Unified CPN-Maoist for taking the strategy of revolution and said that the democratic forces should be united against the Maoists’ ‘ultra left’ thought.

The UCPN-M Central Working Committee meeting on Friday had endorsed a political document of party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal which said that the party would take a strategy of revolution to defeat the conspiracies against the peace and constitution-drafting processes.

Concluding that the special session of the Parliament — called following the Maoist and other six parties’ petition — would widen rift among the parties and spoil the atmosphere of consensus, the meeting decided to vote against the Maoists’ proposals.

“The meeting calls on the UCPN-M to withdraw the proposals and clear the way for consensus. If the party declines for that, we will defeat the proposals,” the meeting concluded according to the PM’s adviser Raghujee Panta.

“The Maoists’ strategy of revolution is negative and it is headed towards ultra-left thought,” said CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal, according to Panta.

Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal underlined the need of making the ‘democratic’ coalition stronger to counter the Maoists’ ‘ultra-left’ thought. “The UCPN-M has recently decided to take a strategy of revolution. It is against the constitution-writing and peace processes. So, we should stand united against it,” Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala told the meeting.

Influential leaders, including Ramchandra Paudel, Krishna Sitaula and Dr Ram Sharan Mahat of NC; Ishwor Pokharel, KP Oli and Bishnu Paudel of the CPN-UML; and Surya Bahadur Thapa of Rastriya Janashakti Party were present in the meeting.

All leaders expressed united voice against what they said extremist thought and strategy of the UCPN-M.