Dahal challenged over political document

KIRAN PUN KATHMANDU, July 14: Challenging the political document presented by UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, two senior party leaders have registered their dissent in the ongoing first Central Committee (CC) meeting held after the formal split of the party. While politburo member Ram Karki has already registered a nine-page written dissent, another politburo member Shashi Sherchan aka Sonam Saathi is preparing to register a supplementary proposal on Sunday. They have claimed that Dahal´s document is silent on the issue of nationality, unequal treaties with India and border issues, among others. A leader close to Sonam said their proposal will be taken to the party plenum as a supplementary proposal if Dahal fails to incorporate issues raised in Sonam’s document. "Dahal´s proposal is silent on the nationality and border issues with India. These issues should have been raised with special emphasis," said CC member Ishwari Bhattarai close to Sonam. Seven other CC member are also likely to support Sonam, said a CC member close to Dahal. Sonam has said the party should ask the government to scrap the BIPPA agreement and extradition treaty signed with India. Party Vice-chairman and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai had signed BIPPA agreement and extradition treaty with India through ordinance. "The party should protest all unequal treaties with India," said Bhattarai. Bhattarai also added that party should stand for the cause of working class people. He said the party should work toward ensuring participation of lower class people and fully proportional representation electoral system in the new constitution. "Fully proportional representation electoral system should be ensured in the new constitution," said Bhattarai. "Our party had signed the comprehensive peace accord saying the new constitution would eliminate class, region, caste and gender-based discrimination. But party´s document is silent on the issues," said Bhattarai. Likewise, another politburo member Karki said he registered a nine-page differing view against Dahal’s document in a bid to bring the party on track. "The party’s institutional life has ended and individuals have risen to prominence by forming separate factions,” said Karki. He also raised the issue of financial irregularities, saying financial irregularities had plagued the UCPN (Maoist). Likewise, his document stresses the need for holding general convention of the party to give the party a new lease of life. "UCPN (Maoist) is running on the basis of system we developed 22 years ago. The current anarchy in the party is the result of the party’s failure to hold fresh general convention," said Karki, adding that general convention is the only one way to give the party a new life. Karki´s document attributed the split in the party to failure of the party leadership to check irregularities and discrimination in the party. Earlier, Karki quit the Bhattarai led faction to form a separate group in the UCPN (Maoist). from Republica