KATHMANDU, DEC 22 - As the general public heaved a sigh of relief after the three-day Maoist general strike to press for ‘civilian supremacy’ ended on Tuesday afternoon, the UCPN-Maoist is all set to announce its fresh round of protest programmes.

The main opposition party has said that its standing committee meeting will decide the protest programmes for the fourth-round of protest. Maoist Vice-Chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha informed that the party will change its 'parliamentary strategy' during its fourth-round protest. 

He said that the party has no option but to announce additional agitation programmes to pressurise as the major ruling parties—the Nepali Congress (NC) and the UML—remained indifferent to our demands.

“We will announce the round of protest as the ruling parties did not pay heed to our demands despite extreme flexibility on our part,” said leader Shrestha, talking to Radio Kantipur earlier today.

When asked about the nature of agitation in the next round of protests, the Maoist vice-chair said they will not continue with the general strike. “We will launch protest programmes with extensive mobilization of people to press for civilian supremacy and mainly the nationality.” 

He said that the party has assessed that the three-day general strike has been able to put some kind of pressure on the government though it may not seem to have any positive impact. He further said that the agitation has shown that the people are in favour of the establishment of ‘civilian supremacy’.

 The Maoist leader, however, said that his party has been stressing on the need for forging consensus in order to accomplish the historical task of drafting a new constitution and taking the peace process to a logical end.

“We are always in favour of holding talks, if the rulings parties are serious to hold talks honestly,” said leader Shrestha, adding that the fate of the protracted political deadlock depend on the two major ruling parties. “But they are not serious over the same.”

The Maoists, which dislodged from the government under its own leadership in May following a row over sacking the then army chief, have been agitating from the streets and the parliaments demanding the establishment of ‘civilian supremacy’ and rectification of the president’s move. The former-rebel-turned-single-largest party has been claiming that the reinstatement of then army chief by President Dr Ram Baran Yadav was ‘unconstitutional’.

 

Posted on: 2009-12-22 02:20

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