KATHMANDU, May 6: Caretaker Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal told media on Wednesday that the next government will be formed under Maoist leadership and not any other. [break]
“There is some sort of confusion about the new government especially after the other political parties started their homework, but the confusion will be cleared,” he said, addressing a press conference at the Constituent Assembly party office at Singha Durbar. "It is natural that the parties, which had even ordered to behead us in the past, have some suspicions about us but the suspicions will be over soon and the next government will be formed under our leadership."
Dahal, however, did not disclose whether he will return as the next prime minister or the party will depute someone else to take charge.
He said he has heard about Dr Baburam Bhattarai´s name being mentioned over the past two days as the next prime ministerial candidate. “But this has come about in conspicuous fashion,” he said. “We have the strongest ever unity in the party and who will lead the government will be decided through a unanimous voice of the party.”
He, however, hinted that the government formation process was still a tough job. “The process will begin only after the president´s unconstitutional move to reinstate the army chief is rectified,” said Dahal.
Dahal said there was no point in the political parties starting the government formation process before settling the dispute regarding civilian supremacy over the army. “The issue of civilian supremacy should have been a slogan of the bourgeoisie and not us the proletariat,” said Dahal. “So why are they against it?”
At the press conference organized to make public his reaction to the “sensational video tape” revealing the Maoist strategy to capture state power, Dahal said the tape was “made public conspicuously” following the government´s action against the army chief.
“It is part of a conspiracy of the counter-revolutionary forces and the arms mafia who want the Maoists to resume the war so that they can get heavy commissions from arms purchases,” said Dahal.
The video was shot at a time when there were suspicions still about whether the Constituent Assembly elections would be held and there was a feeling that a conspiracy was being hatched against the elections, Dahal said. “I had put across those views among the party cadres under those circumstances.”
“It is not unnatural for the leaders and cadres of a party, which has gone through a great people´s war, to have such discussions when they feel that even the Constituent Assembly polls are being aborted,” he said.
Dahal said he has made stronger speeches and issued tougher instructions during the people´s war, asking the cadres to move ahead more resolutely toward achieving the goals. “But it will be nothing more than a futile attempt to create an illusion by disseminating such tapes in the present changed context,” he added.
Dahal defended his move to mislead the public about the number of People´s Liberation Army troops in the cantonments. “We had a three-tier military system,with regular forces at the central and regional levels and militia at the local level,” he said. “I just said that our central PLA strength was seven to eight thousand.” He said the Maoists had a 100,000 force as militia which all the peace agreements have recognized as regular forces, and stressed the need to integrate them.
Dahal said the party was seriously investigating how the video tape was made public. “But we are not afraid of any consequences,” he said. “The revelation has taken the party to a new height, and has benefited more than harmed it.”
Dahal also denied having made comments about Indian meddling in Nepal´s political affairs and in toppling his government. “But we will never tolerate any foreign interference in our internal affairs,” he added.
Dahal resigned on Monday after his government was reduced to a minority following a pullout by all the coalition partners.
At the press conference, Dahal also said his party would not resort to violent protests but carry out a street and parliamentary struggle peacefully. He informed that his party will take action if any of its activists issues threats of physical action against the cadres of other parties.
yuvraj@myrepublica.com
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