KATHMANDU, Oct 11: Notwithstanding what his party chief had said earlier, Maoist vice president Dr Baburam Bhattarai said on Sunday said that the chances of political parties reaching a consensus to end the political deadlock was getting slimmer by the day. [break]
“Looking at the political developments till today, the possibility of consensus among the political parties appears slim. It appears it would be essential for us to launch another mass movement after Tihar festival,” said Dr Bhattarai at a press meet organized at the party´s parliamentary office. Dr Bhattarai is the coordinator of the Maoists´ United National People´s Movement, Nepal.
Dr Bhattarai maintained that the ruling political parties should acknowledge that the president´s move (to reinstate former Army Chief Rookmangud Katawal) was unconstitutional. He stated that the constitution should undergo an amendment so that it may not set a precedent. “However, the parties are not even ready to pronounce the first letter of the word president,” he said.
Just before setting out on a weeklong visit to the northern neighbor Sunday morning, Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had told the reporters at the Tribhuvan International Airport that the ruling Nepali Congress and CPN-UML had assured him that the deadlock would end by Oct 20. The Maoist chairman had also said the political parties would form a high-level political mechanism to expedite the peace process once the consensus is reached on the Maoist demand for “civilian supremacy”.
Current govt against the CPA
Speaking at the press meet Dr Bhattarai claimed that the recent statements made by Defense Minister Bidya Bhandari were intended to derail the peace process and invite conflict.
“Defense Minister Bidya Bhandari´s written statement at the Parliamentary State Affairs Committee demanding amendment to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and Agreement on Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies is extremely irresponsible, ill-intended and objectionable,” said Dr Bhattarai.
The Maoists have also objected to the government´s “one-sided decision” to dissolve the high level Land Reforms Commission, which, the party has stated, was formed as an integral part of the CPA.
Dr Bhattarai also demanded that local bodies be formed on the basis of votes the political parties garnered during the CA elections. “If the government does not form local bodies on that basis, our party would form local bodies on its own.” He said it would be a violation of the CPA and the interim constitution to form the local bodies without Maoists´ consent.
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