Leaders of the second largest ruling party, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) have decided to raise their voice against the series of violence perpetrated allegedly by Maoist cadres. [break]
"We will take up strongly the issue of murder of our youth wing leader Prachanda Thaiba," said Deputy Leader of CPN-UML Surendra Pandey. "Further steps will depend on what sort of response the largest ruling party gives to the concerns we raise."
The UML has taken Thaiba´s killing as part of series of attacks on the UML cadres. Bitterness between two major ruling parties that developed during Free Students´ Union election has reached a new height with the murder of Youth Force. The UML alleges that Maoist youth wing, Young Communist League, is behind Thaiba´s murder, a charge that both the YCL and its parent party have denied.
Victory of its student candidates – some of those unexpected – in recent FSU elections has bolstered the morale of UML leaders to fight against the "Maoists´ bullying attitude" inside the government. They have taken the victory in students´ elections as fresh mandate of the people.
Besides, thumping victory of the leaders who want to maintain a distance with the Maoists in the party´s recent National Convention in Butwal has increased possibility of the UML leaders turning tough against the Maoists in the parliament.
"We will try to bring the largest party which has been ignoring even the coalition partners in taking major decisions back to politics of consensus," said UML Chief Whip Bhim Acharya, over telephone.
Acharya said the UML is holding its Parliamentary Party meeting at 1 p.m. Sunday to thrash out a strategy on how to contain "increasing unilateralism" of the Maoists in the government.
According to Pandey, the UML leaders are sympathetic to the demands raised by the main opposition, Nepali Congress, during last session of parliament to compel the Maoists to implement past agreements.
"A panel has already been formed to monitor the implementation of the past accords," said Pandey. "We will decide our future steps after the panel reports to the House on the progress made so far."
The (non)implementation of the past agreements will be the toughest issue the Maoist-led government is going to face in this session. Nepali Congress leaders have said there is no progress at all toward returning of the property seized by the Maoists. NC leaders have collected data of the seized property from more than 50 districts after finding, what they say, incomplete reports prepared by the government.
"Our report shows there is no progress at all," Jagadish Narsingh KC, an NC lawmaker in the Commitment Implementation Parliamentary Monitoring Special Committee.
Decisions made by the Maoist government vis-à-vis Nepal Army and bureaucracy and "attack on judiciary" will further add fuel to the anger of Nepali Congress. "We will force the government to justify its arbitrary decisions it made since the last session was prorogued on January 19," said NC Chief Whip Laxman Prasad Ghimire.
Another opposition party, Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, (TMDP), has also threatened strong measures to compel the government to implement its agreement signed with United Madhesi Democratic Front last year. It has already boycotted parliament meetings during last session demanding implementation of its 13-point demand. "We hope we won´t have to disrupt the House this time," said TMDP leader Hridayesh Tripathi.
Besides the opposition parties, leaders of third largest ruling party, Madhesi People´s Rights Forum and Sadbhawana Party also are not happy, especially with the agreement signed with Tharu community. They have claimed the movement was a "ploy" aimed at minimizing the achievements of Madhes movement.
To avoid confrontation inside the parliament, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has urged his party lawmakers to practice patience during the meeting in his absence. He has embarked on a weeklong trip to Norway and Finland Saturday. He hopes to normalize the situation after he comes back.
yuvraj@myrepublica.com
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