KATHMANDU, Nov 21: The Unified CPN (Maoist) on Saturday decided to let the parliament function for three days so as to allow the House to pass the government´s annual budget. [break]
"Our consistent efforts to find a solution failed to yield any result due to the ruling parties´ indifference," Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said at a press meet organized to brief the media on the party´s central committee´s decisions. "However, as a responsible party to the country, people, security persons and other communities, we have unilaterally decided to let the parliament run for three days to pass the budget."
Phase-III protests
- Nov 22-Nov 30 -- publicity campaign
- Dec 1-Dec 10 -- protests by sister wings
- Dec 11-Dec 19 -- protests by regional/ethnic fronts
- Dec 20-Dec 22 -- nationwide general strike
Dahal said the main opposition party took the decision as the government and ruling parties showed serious negligence toward resolving the budget crisis. "We held several rounds of talks. I also held talks in Singapore [with Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala] in this regard. But the government remained indifferent toward the problem. Then, we took the unilateral decision," he explained.
Earlier, the Maoist party, which is continuously obstructing the parliament business, demanding "civilian supremacy" ever since the Dahal stepped down as prime minister, had allowed the parliament run only for a few days just to present the budget and pass the vote-on-account bill.
For the last few days, Finance Minister Surendra Pandey had been urging Maoists to allow the parliament to pass the budget, saying that delay in doing so would lead to serious financial crisis in the country.
The party´s central committee meeting also took a decision to launch a month-long third phase of protests from November 22 to December 22 for "civilian supremacy".
As per the decision, the month-long protests will include publicity campaign from November 22-30, protests by sister wings from December 1-10, protests by regional and ethnic fronts from December 11-19 and general strike from December 20-22. The party also announced to boycott the president, prime minister and ministers in all public gunctions and greet them with black flags.
The party has announced to bring vehicular movement, all types of industries, educational institutions, offices and other businesses to a complete halt across the country for three days from December 20.
"We have decided to launch the third phase of protests as the government did not address our demands even after the ultimatum issued by our party after concluding second phase of protests expired on Friday," Dahal said.
Party Vice Chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai, who heads the party´s United National People´s Movement, said the Maoist leaders will not join any program participated by the ruling leaders. "We will sit together with them only if they call us for dialogue to address our agendas," he said.
The main opposition party has been protesting against the government and President Dr Ram Baran Yadav ever since Dahal stepped down over a difference with the president after the latter countermanded Dahal´s decision to sack then army chief Rookmangud Katawal.
The Maoists have also decided to launch another phase of protests that would include indefinite general strike if the government remained indifferent to their demands even after the end of phase III protests.
thira@myrepublica.com
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