A meeting of the Maoist top leaders Saturday morning also warned the government against disseminating “propaganda” that the Maoists are planning violent tactics during the demonstration. [break]
“We warn the government to immediately stop disseminating propaganda that we will resort to violence during the demonstration. But if the government takes to violent tactics to suppress the demonstration, people will have the right to retaliate,” said Maoist vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha after the meeting.
Shrestha said the party is set to launch the demonstration as a pressure tactic to strike a deal on “forward-looking peace and constitution” and a Maoist-led national unity government for that.
“The demonstration will be peaceful and we also call on the masses not to believe the government propaganda that we will resort to violent methods during the demonstration,” said Shrestha.
There are news reports and pictures about the party training its cadres with urban warfare for a revolt.
The party also decided to call on the government to withdraw the appointments recommended by the Constitutional Council (CC) without taking their approval. “It is now becoming clearer that the government is against making compromises,” said Shrestha.
Leaders said they have reached a conclusion that the party´s goal of “forward looking peace and constitution” and a Maoist-led government for that could not be realized without creating a massive pressure through a “mass movement”.
The party is mulling general strikes across the country immediately after the May 1 demonstrations as the party is not hopeful to reach consensus with the ruling parties.
The party had planned to put forward its views during the High Level Political Mechanism (HLPM) scheduled for Saturday, but the meeting was postponed for Sunday after the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML requested the Maoists for that. “They requested us to postpone the meeting to celebrate the Loktantra Day on Saturday,” said Shrestha.
In the next HLPM meeting, Maoists will pressurize the government to extend the term of the UNMIN. “We had agreed to extend the UNMIN term. But the government is not writing a formal letter to the UN for UNMIN term extension,” said Shrestha. The term of the UN Mission is coming to an end on May 15.
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