CPN-Maoist formally decides poll boycott

Boycott manifesto on 25 July KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, July 2: While leaving the door open for talks, the CPN-Maoist has formally decided to boycott the election to the Constituent Assembly (CA), thus endorsing the political document of Chairman Mohan Baidya.

Terming the scheduled election a process of Sikkimization, the Baidya Maoists concluded their four-day party central committee (CC) meeting in Pokhara Tuesday with an appeal to the people and to ´nationalist forces´ to boycott the poll.
The CPN-Maoist decided to mobilize the full force of the party in city and village to foil the electoral process of the Khila Raj Regmi government.
The party will announce its boycott manifesto on July 25, and its leaders say the boycott campaign will prepare the environment for ´revolt´ or for ´negotiations´.
The much-awaited CPN-Maoist CC decision will determine whether national politics turns toward confrontation or takes a peaceful course.
At the CC meeting, General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa presented a document on the party´s organizational and struggle programs, while Secretary Netra Bikram Chand presented a document on the formation of a military wing for concluding the ´new democratic revolution´.

Chairman Baidya´s political document has proposed boycotting the election, arguing that it is against the interest of the people. The document also concluded that the election is being held only to serve the interests of reactionary and foreign forces out to turn Nepal into another Sikkim.

“Our party has decided on a robust boycott, bringing to bear on it the entire force of the party with the help of the people,” CC member Om Prakash Pun told Republica.
The CPN-Maoist will boycott the election, mobilizing people and cadres in villages and cities where it has party structure in place. The party will also mobilize its youth, peasant, student and other wings. General Secretary Thapa´s document focuses the struggle program at three levels -- center, state and district.

“We will go to the people with the boycott manifesto. After announcement of the boycott manifesto on 25 July, we will take our boycott campaign to the people,” Pun added. The campaign will be launched after holding meetings of the state committees, district committees and lower level outfits. The Baidya Maoists will launch the campaign in all 75 districts.

The CPN-Maoist will make preparations to counter the moves of the government, Pun informed, adding that they will retaliate against the government´s activities.
“We will retaliate, mobilizing the people, if the government invites confrontation by holding the election through force,” said party spokesperson Pampha Bhusal.
The Baidya Maoists will push the boycott campaign with a slogan of national sovereignty and ´against corruption´.

“We will go to the people with the slogan ´Let´s boycott Ledup Dorje and corruption,” added Pun. [Dorje played the key role in the merger of Sikkim with India]
The CPN-Maoist has kept the door for talks open, but for that the government has to first postpone the electoral process.
from Republica