Baidya registers dissent

	REPUBLICA KATHMANDU, Nov 2: Taking strong exception to the peace deal, Maoist radical faction has stated that the agreement seriously violates the party´s basic principles and commitment made to the people during the "People´s War". Party Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya, who leads the hard-line camp, stated that he would not accept the agreement which he argued is against the interests of the people. "We are strongly against the whole spirit of the agreement," said Baidya after the meeting. He informed the media that his faction will deliberate on the issue and make public its views during a press meet on Wednesday. Baidya, party General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa, and party Secretary CP Gajurel were present at the meeting. "We will not abide by the agreement," Thapa told the media persons after the meeting. Meanwhile, Dahal held a meeting of the party office bearers to convince the party radicals, but to no avail. Instead they registered a note of dissent against the party decision. According to sources, the radicals held a separate meeting and charted out their strategy after Dahal agreed to sign the deal. Referring to Dahal and Bhattarai, Thapa claimed that some party leaders by signing the deal have proved themselves to be the “stooges of reactionaries”. He vented ire against the party establishment for striking an agreement prior to the upcoming central committee which was to discuss the integration issue. The party hard-liners have accused Dahal of skipping the upcoming meeting, and also of violating the decisions of the previous central committee meeting. Reacting to Baidya´s comments on the deal, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that he appreciates Baidya´s statement that the latter would abide by the principle of "democratic centralism." "You have heard him (Baidya) saying that he would abide by the principle of democratic centralism and that the party unity would remain intact," Dahal told media persons. The Baidya faction had demanded integration of 10,000 PLA personnel into the proposed NA directorate, PLA´s leadership of the directorate, and unit-wise entry of the PLA into the directorate, among other things. They have termed the agreement as the dissolution of the PLA and not its integration into the state security forces as agreed in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
Published on 2011-11-02 02:00:48