The leaders, however, said their movement would not be directed against the government though it is led by secretary of the Maoist party CP Gajurel, a key leader in the Baidya faction that has demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and threatened to bring a no confidence motion in parliament against the prime minister if necessary. [break]
"The country is passing through an abnormal period and facing crisis. The parties represented in the Constituent Assembly alone cannot take on these challenges facing the country," said Gajurel announcing the alliance Friday.
"There is a need for unity among those parties represented in the Constituent Assembly and those which are out of the Constituent Assembly to salvage the country out of this crisis."
Besides the Baidya faction, the alliance comprises Nepal Communist Party (Maoist), Nepal Communist Party (United), Revolutionary Communist Party, Federal Democratic National Front, Tamsaling Nepal National Party, Janamukti Party, Nepal Nagarik Party, Federation of All Nepal National Indigenous Nationalities (United), Adivasi Janjati Mahasangh (Socialist), Tharu Mukti Sangram and Adhibasi-Jatiya-Chhetriya Mahasangh.
Former Maoist leaders Matrika Yadav, Mani Thapa, ethnic rights activists Raj Kumar Lekhi, Parshuram Tamang and Lalan Chaudhary are also in the alliance.
The alliance said it would launch protests in phases, with the first beginning March 31. Gajurel said the movement will also expose border encroachment by India and will press the government to scrap all "unequal and anti-national treaties" with the southern neighbor, including the recent one signed by Minister for Water Resources Post Bahadur Bogati to advance works on the Pancheswar Project.
In its bid to exert pressure to draft the "people´s democratic constitution" on time, the alliance announced protests inside and ouside the Constituent Assembly and plans to collect signatures of people from all the 240 constituencies in favor of a federal democratic constitution based on identity and upholding the right to self-determination.
According to leaders, the alliance will launch protests to reduce the prices of petroleum products and cooking fuel, and will attempt to expose those involved in creating artificial scarcity of daily consumer goods.
Asked whether he consulted the party, Gajurel said, "It is the decision of the last central committee that we can launch our programs separately by informing the party headquarters."
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