No end in sight to Maoists' fight over party property

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, July 2: The row between the UCPN (Maoist) and its breakaway CPN -Maoist over properties owned by the party is likely to deepen if the parties fail to amicably settle the issue of sharing the properties worth millions of rupees.

While the UCPN (Maoist) has staked claim to all the properties and refused to share them with the breakaway party, CPN-Maoist has maintained it has equal rights to the properties.

As of Sunday, the parties have found no solution to the issue.


UCPN (Maoist) leaders said the breakaway party does not have the right to stake claim to the party’s assets. They have now turned to the police and administration to maintain their claim.

“It is universally accepted that party offices and properties are owned by the establishment. So, they have no legal basis to stake claim to the properties,” said UCPN (Maoist) politburo member Agni Sapkota.

UCPN (Maoist) leader Bikesh Shrestha told Republica that the party is hopeful of retaining ownership of all the party’s assets with help from administration. The breakaway party plans to capture assets in the district where it commands a majority by force and have captured the party office in Chitwan.

But the CPN-Maoist leaders said they have the right to claim fifty percent of the party’s properties, including the party’s headquarters and party’s district offices. The party has its own buildings in over three dozen districts.

“The issue should have been solved through mutual understanding. Accordingly, we waited until today,” CPN-Maoist spokesperson Pampha Bhusal told Republica.

The UCPN (Maoist) had tried to capture the office of National Employee Federation Nepal (NEFN) in Kathmandu on June 21. The new party commands majority in the organization of the government employees. Similarly, a violent clash occurred in Chitwan where the new Maoist party captured the party’s district office. UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s younger brother Narayan Dahal had led the clash in Chitwan.

No solution in sight
After the violent clash in Chitwan, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Dahal and Chairman of CPN-Maoist Mohan Baidya discussed the issue in a bid to find an amicable solution to the problem. Similarly, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Baidya also discussed the matter on Saturday and agreed to resolve the issue through talks.

But the parties have found no solution to the problem as of Sunday.

CPN-Maoist has proposed two options. According to Anil Sharma, a CC member of the CPN-Maoist, the party’s properties should be shared equally. If that is not possible, the party that has leadership in district committees and state committees should own the properties in the respective committees. According to CPN-Maoist leaders, they left the Perisdanda office and took over the central offices of sister wings at Buddha Nagar and Newa State Committee office at Kupondole. Almost all the chiefs of sister wings are in the CPN-Maoist. Newa State Committee in-charge Hitaman Shakya is also in the new party. “If the properties are shared as per the second option, we will get at least something,” said a leader. However, UCPN (Maoist) leader Sapkota said the problem should be resolved through talks.