Dahal vows to rein in factional politics,Some say it’s ploy to regain ‘lost supremacy’
KATHMANDU: Claiming that the freedom awarded to the factional politics led to the split of the party, Unified CPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal today vowed to end existing factionalism in the party.
Two Vice-chairmen Baburam Bhattarai and Narayan Kaji Shrestha lead their respective factions, challenging Chairman Dahal’s supremacy in the party, and the deputies have more often than not accused Dahal of suppressing leaders and cadres close to them.
Dahal today said he would not tolerate any kind of activities that promote factionalism and that he would work towards reforming his party and begin changes from himself. Leaders and cadres close to Bhattarai and Shrestha, however, said it was nothing but a ploy to ‘regain his lost supremacy’ in the party.
Bhattarai’s soft presentation at the party’s seventh extended meeting at Bhrikuti Mandap nonetheless suggests that he has struck some kind of deal with Dahal. Even Shrestha, who had challenged Dahal’s document during the latest central committee meeting, today went on to claim that the party would be without any factions.
While talking to his confidantes yesterday evening at Baluwatar, Bhattarai though had said Chairman Dahal had taken up his political line and therefore both of them were one on most of the issues, he had directed them to continue struggling from their respective places for respectable organisational positions.
Addressing the extended meeting today, Dahal claimed that Mohan Baidhya failed to understand Marxism in its true sense and hence chose to split the party, breaking his promise to remain in the party till the national convention. “Baidhya has committed a blunder,” said Dahal. Stating that the significance of the 12-point agreement had not ended, he urged urged parties to join hands to fulfil the objectives of the historical deal.
Claiming that the Baidhya group decided to form a new party because of party’s political line, Bhattarai said peace and constitution would be the new basis for party unity and claimed that the UCPN-M would not split further.
In his 40-page document, Dahal has claimed that he will make financial report transparent and start purification of the party, beginning from himself and taking the campaign down to lower levels. He has pointed out party’s 12 mistakes to be made public soon to seek apology from people.
One of the participants said after hearing discussions on Dahal’s political document, he came to the conclusion that the party would never go for any kind of armed revolution.TIKA R PRADHAN,THT
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