Power-sharing divides Nepal Maoists

Five years after they laid down arms to join mainstream politics, Maoists in Nepal are facing a crisis due to sharp differences among senior leaders over power sharing. Utpal Parashar reports.

Updated on: Jul 13, 2011, 01:37:58 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Five years after they laid down arms to join mainstream politics, Maoists in Nepal are facing a crisis due to sharp differences among senior leaders over power sharing.

Party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ is battling to maintain his dictatorial hold while two vice chairmen, Baburam Bhattarai and Mohan Baidya want him to devolve some of his power.

Rising tension among the factions is expected to reach a crescendo on Wednesday, when the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) central committee is slated to convene.

Prachanda is expected to table a political document on the roadmap to complete the peace process and draft the new constitution within the extended August 31 deadline.

But the Bhattarai and Baidya factions are threatening to block discussions on the two key issues unless their demand for power sharing within the party is addressed first.

Prachanda heads all three segments — the military wing, the party structure and the parliamentary wing.

Bhattarai wants to head the party’s parliamentary wing while Baidya seeks control over the party organisation.

Both factions want senior leader Ram Bahadur Thapa to head the military wing responsible for 19,000 former People’s Liberation Army combatants living in cantonments since 2006.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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