Sunday, November 6, 2011

Thapa asks PLA to defy gag order

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, Nov 6: Taking strong exception to the recent whip issued by the People´s Liberation Army (PLA), UCPN (Maoist) General Secretary and in-charge of the party´s military commission Ram Bahadur Thapa has asked PLA members not to follow the whip that bars the latter from making public statements against integration and rehabilitation modality.

Thapa expressed his objection with some central committee members of the party from the far-western region who met Thapa on Saturday.

 “I heard the commanders have issued a whip to PLA members not to express their views against the decision reached on Nov 1. PLA is a political army. They have to express what they feel,” Om Prakash Pun, central committee member, quoted Thapa as saying at the meeting.

Thapa was not invited in the recent meeting of the PLA general staff on Thursday. Thapa was appointed in-charge of the party military commission by the central committee meeting held after the formation of Dhobighat alliance. Vice chairmen Mohan Baidya, Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Narayankaji Shrestha and Thapa had formed a loose alliance for collective leadership in the party challenging party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal´s highhandedness in the party. The formation of alliance had paved the way for Bhattarai to become the prime minister. 

“I was not involved in any decision of the PLA. I will make this an agenda at the upcoming party central committee meeting,” he said. The faction led by party senior Vice-chairman Baidya has expressed dissent against the seven-point peace deal saying that the deal is “against the people and the country” and surrender not integration of the PLA. At the meeting, he also accused the party leadership of abandoning the path of revolution.

Meanwhile, commanders close to the Baidya faction said they have not yet been officially informed about the November 1 seven-point deal on the management of Maoist combatants though other commanders close to Dahal and Bhattarai have already been informed officially.

   
    

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