Maoist factional feud deepens

KATHMANDU, JAN 01 -
The factional battle of the UCPN (Maoist) triggered by selection of candidates under the proportional representation (PR) category ratcheted up on Tuesday with both sides unwilling to budge from their positions.

This is also likely to bring two senior leaders Baburam Bhattarai and Narayan Kaji Shrestha together in what they call to "break Pushpa Kamal Dahal's monopoly in the PR distribution."

Shrestha and Bhattarai on Monday boycotted a party meeting that selected the party's final list of PR candidates. Should that happen, it will be a second time that the two senior leaders come together against Chairman Dahal. In 2011, the duo along with Mohan Baidya had stood together against Dahal alleging his monopoly over the organisational hold and party resources.

Bhattarai and Shrestha, who do not share a good relation ever since the latter joined the Maoist party in 2009, had boycotted the meeting in mutual understanding.

On Tuesday, three factions led by Dahal, Bhattarai and Shrestha held separate meetings to chalk out party's political course.

The factional tension has reached a new height at a time when top leaders are publicly saying that the party is free from any factional politics.

The duo has blamed that Dahal is "trying to capture the party at a time when it is passing through a difficult situation" after the party's unexpected loss in the November 19 election.

They are accusing Dahal faction of selecting the candidates against the mandate and criteria set by a party's Central Committee meeting.

“Dahal selected PR candidates arbitrarily and we will not accept such monopoly inside the party,” said Devendra Poudel, a leader close to Bhattarai. The Bhattarai faction is learnt to have prepared a separate document to be tabled at the party’s upcoming CC meeting if Dahal does not correct his decision.

The first step of Bhattarai and Shrestha is to press Dahal to correct his mistakes within the time provided by the Election Commission. “There will be serious consequences if Dahal refuses to correct the flawed decision,” Poudel said, adding that only three leaders of the Bhattarai faction have been included in the 54-member of PR list.

But the Dahal faction remains firm in its decision. It claims that the PR candidates were selected as per the criteria passed by the CC meet, saying that the duo’s objection only reflects dissatisfaction over the failure to induct their leaders in the list.

“The party headquarters selected the candidates as per the mandate and criteria set by CC meet, there is no point of protesting against the decision,” said Maoist spokesperson Agni Sapkota.

In February 2013, the party’s seventh general convention had announced the end of factional politics. But the dispute between Bhattarai and Dahal resurfaced once again after the election, leaders say. “It’s likely to turn nasty this time.”

Taking a swipe at the chairman’s role, Bhattarai has urged Dahal to self-criticise. The Maoist idealogue is saying that the party chairman’s term should be limited to two times and party leaders should be elected through an election.

Dahal loyalists say that Bhattarai is trying to further weaken the party at a time when the party is in crisis. In a factional meeting of Dahal, leaders said Bhattarai is giving public speeches against the party’s political line. “Baburamji wants to replace the party chairman and take the leadership of the party in any pretext,” a leader close to Dahal told the Post. They also suggested Dahal to take action against Bhattarai if he continues “to cross the party’s line.”

Arson at Maoist party office in Dhading

DHADING: Expressing dissatisfaction over the selection of the final list of candidates under the proportional representation (PR) category, UCPN (Maoist) cadres vandalised the party office in Dhading on Tuesday. The cadres torched furniture and documents there. The irate cadres expressed strong reservations about the selection of former Inspector General of Nepal Police Rabindra Pratap Shah by the party as a PR candidate.

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