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Maoist meet may see fireworks
KATHMANDU, AUG 10 -
Differences, which have further widened of late, between the top two leaders of the UCPN (Maoist) will spur heated discussions in the upcoming Central Committee of the party, say insiders. The CC meeting scheduled for Wednesday has been postponed to Thursday on the ground that more time is needed for completing preparations for the event.
Both factions of the leaders supporting Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vice Chairman Baburam Bhattarai Dahal are impatient to “vent their ire” against each other. “The meeting is likely witness heated discussions and is also expected to thrash out several crucial issues,” said a Maoist leader. Both Dahal and Bhattarai have serious disagreements over several crucial issues pertaining to internal party politics, government formation and the peace process.
Maoist leaders say Dahal and Bhattarai’s separate meetings with the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s special envoy Shyam Saran will be one of the burning issues in the meeting and it could take a nasty turn if the leaders fail to handle it amicably. Mainly, the Dahal faction is objecting to Bhattarai’s separate meeting with Saran. However, Bhattarai has clarified that he met Saran with Dahal’s consent. Reportedly, Dahal also met Saran separately but his faction insists he never did so.
Standing Committee Member Barsha Man Pun, who is close to Dahal recently said Bhattarai’s separate meeting with Saran was against the party policy and that the party would seek clarification from him at the CC meeting. Pun accused Bhattarai of a pro-India tilt. Pun’s statement has irritated the Bhattarai faction which is preparing to raise the issue in the CC meeting.
Another agenda is related to the ongoing prime ministerial election where Dahal is contesting. The Bhattarai faction wants a breakdown of the ongoing poll process and wants a new process for forwarding a consensus candidate. The Dahal faction is against this line. The meeting will also discuss on alleged threats by an Indian Embassy official to CC member Ram Kumar Sharma.
Posted on: 2010-08-11 07:40
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