Those who bore guns are being taught to win hearts

REPUBLICA
Starting February 2, UCPN (Maoist) is holding its first general convention in 21 years in Hetauda. There is a lot of speculation surrounding the general convention with many questioning its relevance, as important ideological questions and leadership positions have already been settled before its commencement. Republica’s Kiran Pun and Biswas Baral talked to Barsha Man Pun, former Maoist Standing Committee member and currently the finance minister in Baburam Bhattarai government, to get more insight into the impending general convention and the likelihood of a breakthrough in the stalled political and constitutional process in the near future.

Finding a niche

NABIN BIBHAS

According to the pundits of Nepali politics, the new CPN-Maoist will formally occupy the place which has been left vacant for the last six years: the ultra-left or the radical left. The vacuum arose after the then CPN (Maoist) entered peaceful politics in 2006. But is this prognosis right?

It bears noting that all of major parties in Nepal—Nepali Congress (NC), CPN (UML) as well as UCPN (Maoist)—got to power on the back of arms. NC raised arms against the Rana regime. The Purba Koshi Prantiya Committee, the precursor to CPN-UML, raised arms in the early 1970s to establish “new democratic system”, in what came to be known as the ‘campaign to finish class enemy’ or Jhapa revolt. It was under the influence of the Naxalite revolution in India under Charu Mazumdar. Only after the 1990 did the party adopt People’s multiparty democracy.

CPN-Maoist forms five commands

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, Jan 30: Centralizing power of the party organization, CPN-Maoist has formed five commands dissolving its six geographical and two non-geographical bureaus keeping in mind the party´s upcoming struggle programs.

The meeting of the party central committee on Tuesday held at the party head office in Buddha Nagar also reshuffled responsibilities appointing party top leaders, including -vice-chairman CP Gajurel and general secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa, as command in-charges.

CPN-Maoist to revive war-era command system

KIRAN PUN

KATHMANDU, Jan 29: After adopting "people´s revolt on the foundation of people´s war" as its political line through its general convention, Mohan Baidya´s CPN-Maoist is planning to revive the insurgency-era organizational structure in the party.

At the central committee meeting of the party which is under way at the party´s head office in Buddha Nagar, leaders are holding discussion to change the existing bureau system into command system. Under the system, power will be centralized in the commands, which will be headed by top leaders.

US interest in CPN-Maoist increases: Baidya

REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, Jan 21: The CPN-Maoist has said that its general convention has stirred a new wave both within and outside the country.
At the first meeting of the party´s newly elected central committee, held on Sunday at the party head office Buddhanagar, Chairman Mohan Baidya briefed that the party has now come to the attention of the international community.

CPN-Maoist leaders immoral: UCPN (Maoist)

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, Jan 20: Countering allegations of financial irregularities, the recent political document for the upcoming general convention of the UCPN (Maoist) has labeled the Mohan-Baidya led CPN-Maoist leaders “immoral, mysterious and most non-transparent”.

'No reviving people's govt, people's courts, army'

Mohan Baidya (Photo: Chandra Shekar Karki)

REPUBLICA
The newly-formed CPN-Maoist party has recently convened its seventh general convention which decided on ´people´s revolt´ as the party´s political line. The convention also elected a 51-member central committee under the chairmanship of Mohan Baidya. Republica´s Kiran Pun spoke with Baidya. Excerpts:

You have been elected party head again after 28 years. How do you feel --is there something new or difference, as you have been elected both times during critical periods?
I was elected a central committee member at four general conventions and I was elected party general secretary at the fifth national congress in 2041.
So, I no longer feel any desire for assuming the main leadership post.

Maoists will take up arms: Baidya

CPN-Maoist press meet. (Photo: Bijay Rai)

KIRAN PUN

KATHMANDU, Jan 17: The CPN-Maoist on Wednesday warned that the party will take up arms if the state power cannot assure the rights of the people.

CPN-Maoist forms 51-member CC

KIRAN PUN

KATHMANDU, Jan 16: The seventh general convention of the CPN-Maoist that concluded on Tuesday formed a 51-member new Central Committee (CC) with Mohan Baidya as the chairman.

All office bearers of the previous CC have retained their positions in the new CC. CP Gajurel has retained his position as vice-chairman, Ram Bahadur Thapa as general secretary, Dev Gurung and Netra Bikram Chand as secretaries.

UCPN(Maoist) out to re-activate YCL

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, Jan 15: The ruling UCPN (Maoist) is soon to revive the long inactive Young Communist League (YCL) in its previous form.

The political document endorsed Saturday for the party´s upcoming general convention on February 2 has stated that the party should take steps to activate the YCL immediately in its previous form.

Maoist paper proposes democratizing Nepal Army

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, Jan 14: Even as former People´s Liberation Army (PLA) combatants have been released from the cantonments with some of them undergoing trainings at various Nepal Army (NA) barracks, the political document endorsed by the ruling UCPN (Maoist) general convention organizing committee on Saturday has proposed forming a national army by developing PLA as a professional army and democratizing NA.

"The national army will be formed through dignified integration of PLA and democratization of NA," reads the political document. The document also states that the party should focus on dignified integration of the PLA into NA.

Dahal, Bhattarai ´stooges´ and ´renegades´

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, Jan 14: The ongoing general convention of the CPN-Maoist has unanimously endorsed the political line of launching ´people´s revolt´ by stepping on the foundation laid by the decade long ´people´s war´ as proposed by party chairman Mohan Baidya, on Sunday.

The political line endorsed by the general convention holds significance because the UCPN (Maoist) party was split over the dispute on whether or not to adopt people´s revolt as party line. While Baidya-led group insisted on the line of revolt, factions led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Baburam Bhattarai lobbied for ´peace and constitution´ as party line.

Dash Maoist cadres for 'people's war'

Dahal calls for 'parallel govt' revival

KIRAN PUN
Big construction and production related work to be carried out to improve party-people relations
KATHMANDU, Jan 13: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal in his political document to be presented at the upcoming general convention has proposed reviving parallel government at the local level.

Dahal has made the proposal while his party rules the country with party vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai as prime minister. Interestingly, Prime Minister Bhattarai was the head of the self-styled Maoist government during the insurgency.

CPN-Maoists debate people's war vs revolt

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, Jan 12: Expressing agreement with the main thrust of the political document presented by party Chairman Mohan Baidya, representatives to the CPN-Maoist General Convention on Friday asked for clarity whether the roadmap is for ´people´s war´ or ´people´s revolt´. The representatives discussed what to make the main goal: ´revolt´ or ´people´s war.´

Baidya´s political document is for completing the ´people´s revolt´ on the foundation of the ´people´s war.´

People's constitution through struggle: CPN-Maoist

EPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, Jan 11: The ongoing 7th General Convention of the CPN-Maoist in Kathmandu on Thursday formed 21 groups to discuss the party´s political document and its statute. The closed session of the general convention also formed a five-member presidium under the leadership of Tilak Pariyar.

"The groups will discuss the political document and the party statute," said Pampha Bhusal, party spokeswoman. According to her, some of the groups have been formed as per the party´s state committees. There are 25 to 225 members in a group and among them the Magarat state committee group has the largest membership of 225.

CPN-M general convention kicks off

Maoist leaders in the convention. (Photo: Bijay Rai)

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, Jan 10: The general convention of the newly formed CPN-Maoist party kicked off in the capital on Wednesday. This is the party´s first general convention following its split from the UCPN (Maoist) last June, the 7th in the history of the party and its mother party, and the first in 21 years.

At Crossroads

Maoist leaders in the convention. (Photo: Keshav Thoker)

KIRAN PUN  --“The Shining Path of Peru was finished after the arrest of President Gonzalo; Nepal’s revolution was finished when Maoist Chairman Prachanda entered Kathmandu. Prachanda had assured us that he would make plans to successfully complete the revolution, and change the mindset of national and international forces. But instead, it was he who changed. Now I am eagerly awaiting the general convention of Dash Maoists,” said comrade Bijuli aka Bir Bahadur Khadka from Jajarkot, who had given all his ancestral property to the Maoist party, following the policy of sarbaharakaran [proletarianization]. Now, his Chairman Prachanda lives in a luxurious apartment at Lazimpat, while comrade Bijuli works in a small hotel in Kathmandu to earn his livelihood.

CPN-Maoist general convention today: Will it be peaceful way or armed struggle?

REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, Jan 9: The general convention of the CPN-Maoist is to start in Kathmandu on Wednesday, with the eyes of the national and international communities focused on what would be its political line - peaceful way forward or armed struggle.

The general convention will be held from Wednesday to Sunday. CPN-Maoist, the faction which broke away from the UCPN (Maoist) last June, is going to hold a general convention after 21 years. Following the announcement of its general convention, the UCPN (Maoist) had announced that it waas holding its own general convention, in Hetuada by February 2.

The Disillusioned Maoists of Nepal

‘Was it worth it?’ ask young Maoist fighters in Nepal

Deepak Adhikari (AFP)

JIRI, Nepal — As youths they were idealistic Maoist soldiers fighting to bring revolution to Nepal but now that their leaders are in power, many say the party has abandoned its faithful.

Among a class of 12 students on an engineering course designed to help them rejoin civilian life after the war ended in 2006, there is deep resentment and a sense of betrayal that the sacrifices they made have been forgotten.

A dismal year for Maoists

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, Jan  1: For the Maoists - both ruling UCPN (Maoist) and newly-formed CPN-Maoist - 2012 turned out to be a ´dark year.´ The ruling Maoists during the year not only saw the split of the party, with the breakaway faction led by senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya, but also the end of the party´s army, People´s Liberation Army (PLA).

The historic Constituent Assembly (CA) was also dissolved while the Maoists were in power, without promulgating a new statute. In the dying days of 2012, the rift between party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai, who is also prime minister, reached its peak over the question of Nepali Congress (NC) President Sushil Koirala becoming consensus prime ministerial candidate.