JHAPA, Nov 6: The agitating UCPN (Maoist) on Friday withdrew its scheduled announcement of autonomous regions, saying that this program had ´created a problem´. [break]
"We have withdrawn the program to announce autonomous states," Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal told media. "It seems that it would create a problem."
Chairman Dahal claimed that they withdrew the program to announce ´autonomous regions´ as it was just part of a ´publicity campaign´.
Issuing a press statement in Kathmandu, Coordinator of the United National People´s Movement Central Committee (UNPMCC) Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai said they will conduct the program to announce autonomous regions at an ´appropriate time´.
Earlier, the Maoists had decided announce 13 ´autonomous regions´ on November 9 as part of their ongoing second phase protests against the government.
The Maoist launched protests demanding correction of the ´unconstitutional´ move made by President Dr Ram Baran Yadav in reinstating then army chief Rookmangud Katawal. The Maoists have also lately put forth their demand for a national unity government under their leadership.
The Maoists have concluded that the theme of a program scheduled to be held in Biratnagar was misinterpreted.
"It was just a publicity program. The fundamentals of the program were also not publicized," said Dahal, who returned after addressing a mass meeting in Ilam. "But understanding of the program has been wrong. This has created a problem."
He, however, did not say what the ´wrong understanding´ and ´problem´ were.
The withdrawal of the autonomous states announcement comes in the wake of the ruling parties calling it a violation of the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) and a breach of the jurisdiction of the Constituent Assembly.
The CA is currently working on federal structure of the country as is the only body authorized to take such a responsibility.
The Maoists said they have, however, not withdrawn their other scheduled protests programs. The UNPMCC press statement said they are sticking to their program to picket Singha Durbar, the principal government secretariat, on November 12 and 13 and impose a blockade on Kathmandu Valley on November 14.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Maoists had withdrawn their scheduled program of blocking the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu following a meeting between Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal with the diplomats based in Kathmandu.
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