One year is a long time in politics. In that duration sworn enemies can turn friends and foes can become bedfellows.
But 12 months might not be enough for Nepal’s Maoist factions to renew old ties and unite ahead of the forthcoming parliamentary polls.
Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, the faction led by Mohan Baidya, which split from the Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda-led Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), would turn one next week.
And ahead of the first anniversary rumours are doing the rounds that the faction, which is opposing polls to elect the next constituent assembly, are in talks with UCPN (M) top brass to make way for unification of the factions within coming months.
Following months of internal conflict, Baidya and other hardliners like CP Gajurel, Ram Bahadur Thapa and Dev Gurung, who were unhappy with the party joining the peace process in 2006, walked away to form CPN-M on June 18 last year.
This faction was also opposed to the party accepting Nepal as a ‘democratic republic’ instead of a ‘people’s federal republic’ and vowed to continue ‘people’s revolution’ to capture power.
Baidya and leaders from his faction were against the party’s decision to adopt ‘peace and constitution’ as its new line instead of continuing with ‘revolt’ to achieve ‘people’s democracy’.
Differences over handing over arms, and the cantonments where Maoist combatants were housed since the 2006 peace accord, was another important reason for the split.
While the establishment faction led by Prachanda favoured rehabilitation of the former rebels through integration into army and retirement packages, Baidya termed this as ’surrender’.
The split didn’t affect the Maoist-led coalition headed by Baburam Bhattarai and it continued to operate as a ‘caretaker’ government for another nine months before handing charge to an interim election council headed by the country’s chief justice in March this year.
This move widened differences among the factions further as Baidya wanted resolution of the political deadlock though a round table mechanism involving all parties rather than handing reins of government to non-political persons in order to hold the next polls.
Unhappy with developments, CPN-M and dozens of other fringe parties have been demanding removal of the interim government and have decided to boycott the next polls.
Any chance of reconciliation was further hampered with UCPN (M) refusing to name India as Nepal’s principal enemy and adopting ‘capitalist revolution’ as the party line in its convention held at Hetauda in February.
Many in both the Maoist factions may be harbouring hopes of unification to boost the party’s prospects at the hustings, but Baidya and Prachanda have denied any possibility of that happening.
Prachanda feels that unification isn’t possible anytime soon as Baidya’s faction “has gone too far”. CPN-M too issued a statement on Monday denying any coming together as both parties have opposite political lines.
The leaders might be denying the rumours, but they say everything is possible in politics. And it shouldn’t come as a surprise if Baidya and Prachanda address poll rallies from the same platform in coming months.
Our Fauji’s are now under
fire within the boundaries.
How sad and sorry state it is.
Where the ordinary can find peace
Is a big question left out now!!!