KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 24
CPN-Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Nepal Samajwadi Party Chair Baburam Bhattarai, who parted ways seven years ago, signalled today that they would come together after the parliamentary and provincial polls scheduled for November 20.
Addressing an interaction organised by the Bhattarai-led party here on the eve of the festivals, Dahal said that although his habits and nature were different from Bhattarai's, their complementary roles had become a source of strength for both and there was again the need for them to come together. He said he wanted Bhattarai's association to launch a new political movement to create a base for socialism.
"We need to launch a new Janayudhha (people's war). Old people's war is not possible again," Dahal added.
He said the separation between him and Bhattarai had weakened the political movement for which they fought long battles together.
"Prachanda and Bhattarai are the two names created by the political movement that was enriched by people's sacrifice and when these two people separated, the movement faced a setback," Dahal said.
Dahal said that his party and Bhattarai's party were fighting the upcoming elections under one election symbol and that convergence would not be limited to the election.
We have to walk together beyond the upcoming elections because we have to create a new path for prosperity and we have to give a new model of socialism, Dahal added.
Bhattarai said fierce rivalry between India, China and the United States of America for influence in Nepal was worrisome.
He accused the old political power, particularly the CPN-UML, of weakening federalism. "Old forces have weakened federalism and the economy. In order to give the country a new direction, we have to start preparations from now," Bhattarai said.
He said a new turning point will occur in Nepal's politics after two months and there will be a new political polarisation because the old political forces only made things worse for the country. "Let's not take the upcoming elections as a minor event. Let's strengthen progressive and socialist forces," Bhattarai added.
He said when CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli became the prime minister after the last general election, he and his team started to weaken institutions and the same attempts were still being made.
"Only recently the president took an unconstitutional step. How the judiciary has been adversely impacted by anomalies and discrepancies are being exposed now. Anomalies and discrepancies have adversely impacted almost all government organs," Bhattarai said.
He said regressive forces were trying to portray change agents as villains and people should remain alert against them.
Bhattarai said that political changes could be sustained and institutionalised only when the forces that ushered in changes ruled the country at least for a decade.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 25, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
