Maoists revive political front, C P Gajurel is head

	KIRAN PUN KATHMANDU, Aug 23: The Maoists have activated their joint political front -- United National People’s Council (UNPC) -- with CP Gajurel as its head, to mobilize the masses. The last central committee meeting of the party decided to activate the front that had been lying defunct for the past one year due to internal disputes. The council was known as United Revolutionary People’s Council during the conflict period. The standing committee meeting on August 16 changed the name to UNPC to make it “acceptable to all”. The council is one of the organs of a communist party, with the army and the party being the other organs. “The United National People’s Council will work as a bridge between the government and the people,” Nawaraj Subedi, general secretary of UNPC, told Republica. He also informed that the council will be engaged in development activities. According to Sudedi, the council will hold meetings with patriotic, republican and leftist forces. Gajurel, who is close to Baidya, was picked as the head of the council as per a Dhobighat understanding on power sharing among Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya, Vice-chairmen Bhattarai and Narayankaji Shrestha and General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa in July. The party has designated Amik Sherchan as UNPC’s vice-chairman, while the chiefs of its 27 sister organizations, 29 ethnic organizations, two regional organizations and two minority groups are the members of the council. “It was necessary to form the council to maintain robust relations between the party and the people. Similarly, the council was felt necessary to form a joint front by joining hands with patriots, leftists and republican forces,” Tilak Pariyar, member of the council, quoted Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal as saying while announcing the formation of the council at a closed-door meeting of the party on Monday. Dahal also expressed hope that the council would play a major role to “complete the revolution”. The council was inactive following the failure of a six-day general strike in 2010. Vice-chairman Bhattarai had been leading the council even before the Maoist insurgency started in 1996. The council became move active during the conflict and represented the Maoists’ central government. “The council was formed for economic, political, social and cultural transformation,” Pariyar quoted Bhattarai as saying at the meeting on Monday. Subedi claimed that the council, which carried out executive and judicial functions during the conflict, would work in a different manner now.         Published on 2011-08-23 09:10:29