September 18, 2007
Maoists Ready to Quit Nepal Government By Sudeshna Sarkar
Kathmandu
The crisis in Nepal deepened Tuesday with Maoist guerrillas readying
to quit the government after their month-long ultimatum to Prime
Minister Girija Prasad Koirala expired with the premier refusing to
concede their key demands.
In a last-ditch bid to avert the anarchy that is sure to follow if
the rebels walk out of the government on the eve of a critical
election, Koirala and Maoist chief Prachanda will be holding talks
Tuesday morning.
However, till Monday night all indications pointed towards the talks
failing as the Maoists refused to budge from their major demands
that King Gyanendra be ousted and Nepal declared a republic by
parliament before the Nov 22 election.
The Maoists are also demanding that the government revise the
electoral system and follow a fully proportional method instead of a
mixed system.
Koirala, bolstered by the international community, has ruled out
conceding either demand.
The premier said the king's fate should be decided by the election
and not by parliament. Since Nepal's current parliament is not an
elected one, Nepal's major donors have warned that such a major
decision taken by it would not be considered legitimate by them.
The rebel decision would be made public Tuesday afternoon at a mass
meeting in the capital.
On the eve of the meeting, the party's mouthpiece, the Janadesh
weekly indicated Tuesday indicated that the Maoists would begin a
"street struggle".
"If the Tuesday morning meet between chairman Prachanda and prime
minister Girija Prasad Koirala results in an agreement to declare
Nepal a republic, choose a fully proportional electoral system and
integrate the guerrilla army with the Nepal Army, the mass meet will
be our election campaign meet," the weekly said Tuesday in its
front-page report.
"However, if the talks fail, the party will announce its exit from
the government and the launch of a fierce movement."
The weekly blamed Koirala and his Nepali Congress party for the
impasse, saying that both were dictated by foreign governments and
were forcing the Maoists to quit the government by not heeding
demands like disclosing the whereabouts of hundreds of people
missing since the 10-year insurgency, and providing support to their
families as well as people who became disabled while taking part in
the pro-democracy movement.
If the Maoists walk out of the government, they would stage a new
"revolt" that would include strikes in different sectors as well as
an indefinite general strike that is certain to have a crippling
effect on the election.
Though the guerrillas say the movement would be peaceful, there is
growing fear that it could erupt into street violence.
The Maoists formally ended their "people's war" last year and joined
the government in April.
During their 170 days in power, they had several times threatened to
quit the ruling alliance but the crisis was averted each time with
the government conceding their demand.
This time, however, the differences seem irreconcilable as it
concerns the fate of Nepal's 238-year-old monarchy.
King Gyanendra lost the awe Nepalis had for their kings when he
tried to rule the country with the backing of the army.
His 15-month regime triggered widespread public protests that forced
him to step down and persuaded the new government to hold, for the
first time in Nepal's history, an election that would put monarchy
to vote.
Though the Maoists had been initially demanding the vote, now
however, with their support waning, they have begun clamouring for
the abolition of monarchy before the election.
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