Both sides are playing different cards to weaken the position of the other and also show their own strengths as the party has not held its general convention for the last two decades and they are not quite sure of each other´s strengths at the grassroots level. [break]
On Saturday, senior Maoist leaders Posta Bahadur Bogati, Barshaman Pun, Lokendra Bist and Shakti Basnet made speeches at a cadre orientation program held by the party establishment faction at a hotel at Solteemode, Kathmandu.
While Bogati, Pun and Bist imparted training to members of the Maoist Newa State Committee and Kathmandu District Committee members, Basnet attended a program held by Maoist students loyal to the establishment faction.
“Since we are the party establishment, we should try to keep the party unity intact. But we have dissimilar views and if they want to split the party, there is nothing we can do,” a participant quoted Basnet as saying.
Talking to Republica, Basnet conceded that he attended the cadre orientation programs, but added that such gatherings and programs are absolutely normal.
“There is nothing wrong in holding discussion programs,” he said.
Similarly, the party´s cultural group loyal to the establishment faction held a musical program at Bhaktapur on Saturday. The party establishment has formed a separate cultural group after most members of the party´s official Samana Parivar showed their loyalty to the hard-line faction.
Meanwhile, the party hardliners also held separate gatherings in Kathmandu and Lalitpur on Saturday. Party politburo member Dharmendra Bastola addressed the gathering in Lalitpur, while Indra Mohan Sigdel, another politburo member, gave a speech at the gathering in Bhaktapur.
After the party handed over the weapons container keys to the Special Committee, polarization between moderates and hardliners in the party has sharpened.
Accusing the party establishment of deviating from the party´s basic principles, the hardliners led by Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya have just wrapped up their nationwide campaign to weaken the positions of Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai in the party.
Baidya´s righthand man Netra Bikram Chand had trained cadres from the mid-western region, while CP Gajurel visited the eastern region.
Party cadres close to Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had even seized the keys of the vehicle belonging to Gajurel and tried to disrupt the training program.
Politburo members Hari Bhakta Kandel, Khadga Bahadur Biswakarma and Kul Prasad KC, among others, have been actively frequenting the districts.
The Maoist cultural group Samana Parivar, which is loyal to the Baidya faction, is still out in the districts holding musical programs.
“We have been holding orientation programs to make the party cadres aware of the party establishment´s move of handing over the weapons container keys to the Special Committee and the four-point deal signed with the Madhes-based parties, among other things,” said leader Bishwakarma.
The Maoists are holding their Central Committee meeting on Sept 30 and heated exchanges are expected between hardliners and moderates over the party´s latest concessions on the peace process, including the return of properties seized by the party during the insurgency and handover of weapons container keys.
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