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Left, Nepali Congress drift apart
Nepal’s Maoist chief Prachanda hints that there has been a virtual split in the ruling coalition, reports Anirban Roy.
Nepal’s Maoist chief Prachanda on Wednesday hinted that there has been a virtual split in the ruling coalition as there has been strong polarization between the left and the Nepali Congress.
Speaking at a programme of the Maoist-affiliated Revolutionary Journalists Association (RJA) at Ghorahi in Dang district, Prachanda took serious note of the reluctance of the government to implement the two motions passed by the special session of the interim parliament.
The Maoist chief said dilly-dallying by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s government in declaring Nepal as a republic and the delay in implementing a fully proportional electoral system had changed the political scenario of the country.
Blaming the Nepali Congress of not being serious in pursuing the peace process, Prachanda claimed the Himalayan nation’s political theatre was totally polarized now. Both Maoists and the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) support the two demands.
The Maoist chief’s annoyance is understandable since the Nepali Congress on Tuesday decided against implementing the proposals passed by the special session of the interim parliament.
Prachanda also reiterated his party's position that constituent assembly (CA) elections commanded lower priority than the announcement of a republic. “Holding the CA election is impossible without announcing a republic,” he said.
During the last three days, the political parties, including the Maoists, are planning a series of meetings to iron out the differences.
