The party establishment led by Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai took the decision as the dissident faction led by Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya declared a boycott of the party´s central committee meeting scheduled for Monday.[break]
The decision was taken after both Baidya and the party´s General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa from the same faction turned down Dahal´s request to participate in the central committee meeting.
Maoist politburo member from the party establishment Haribol Gajurel said the party was launching the mass mobilization programs “for peace and constitution”.
According to him, the party will stage mass demonstrations on April 6 and 22 and on May 1.
He informed that the party leadership decided to announce mass mobilization programs after the hardline faction led by Baidya declared protest programs against the party leadership and the government led by Bhattarai.
The party establishment felt the need to provide orientation to the party rank and file in order to counter the Baidya faction´s protests.
Gajurel, however, said that that the party took the decision not with the view to run parallel programs but to assign the party rank and file with certain responsibility informally. "The programs will be finalized by central committee," he said.
In the meantime, leaders from Baidya faction said they are in a wait and see position. "Our future course depends on the decision the establishment side takes," said Haribhakta Kandel, who is close to Baidya.
Dahal spoke to the party general secretary Thapa on Sunday. He had met Baidya on Saturday.
"Party cadres should understand whether any meeting called by party chairman alone, without consent from the party general secretary, will be legitimate one," said Kandel.
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