E-Kantipur

KATHMANDU, JUL 21 -

The ongoing seventh plenum of UCPN (Maoist) has further contributed to factional politics contrary to top leadership’s expectation that the meeting will make the party cohesive.

Though party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai demonstrated unity during the inaugural session of the plenum , the closed session showed that hostility between rival factions within the party still exists and the scenario is unlikely to end soon. 

Majority of leaders and cadres who spoke during the plenum ’s closed session heavily came down on PM Bhattarai and his working style. A leader close to Bhattarai said though Dahal appears positive towards Bhattarai in his document, he is instigating party cadres to come up against the PM.

“Though Dahal’s document is positive about ending factionalism, activities seen in the plenum show there have been efforts against the party’s existence in the name of ending groupism,” said Politburo member Devendra Poudel, who is close to Bhattarai. In his document, Dahal is silent about party’s India policy, however, his supporters criticise Bhattarai for taking softer stance towards India.

It seems that both factions, in the name of ending the groupism, want to consolidate power and sideline their competitors. Another leader said Dahal is “hatching conspiracy” to end the existence of Bhattarai faction in the party.

He said Dahal remained silent when cadres of both factions hurled chairs at each other following a dispute on Friday.

Some leaders say the incident manifests the genuine enmity between two factions. Dahal’s supporters have put all blames to Bhattarai for the “humiliating integration of combatants”.

“More than half a dozen leaders are in the Cabinet so party should be held responsible for all the tasks carried out by the government,” Poudel said.

“Dahal unilaterally decided to hand over weapons and combatants to Nepal Army on April 10 but leaders who spoke in the plenum put all the blame on the PM,” said a leader close to Bhattarai.

A Dahal supporter said Bhattarai’s commitment to end factional politics is just a tactical move to continue the government and strengthen his factional position. “Bhattarai’s activities in the plenum show that he wants to enhance the factional politics,” he said.

Friday’s incident, according to some leaders, has shown that the party leaders should transform themselves and correct past mistakes. “The effort to attack Dahal and Bhattarai proves that our organisational structure is becoming anarchic,” said CC member Khagaraj Bhattarai.

Silent about election Interestingly, Maoist plenum is silent about CA elections. Neither  Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has articulated about the election in his political document nor Bhattarai-supporters and those who are against him have spoken about it.

Posted on: 2012-07-21 08:29

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