Baidya-led alliance not for talks with govt, HLPC

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, July 30: The alliance of 33 agitating parties led by the CPN-Maoist has decided not to sit for talks with the government and the High Level Political Committee (HLPC).

A meeting of the alliance held at CPN-Maoist headquarters at Buddhanagar on Tuesday took the decision, concluding that the government and the HLPC were not honest about talks. The meeting also flayed the arrest of two of their cadres recently.
Mani Thapa, general secretary of the Revolutionary Communist Party-Nepal (RCP-N), said they decided not to sit for talks with the government and the HLPC as the invitation letter sent to them did not treat them like a political force. "We won´t sit for talks on the basis of the two separate invitation letters we have received from the government and the HLPC. We may consider sitting for talks if they sent politically proper letters," he said. The RCP-N is a constituent party of the 33-party alliance.

The alliance also demanded the unconditional release of the arrested cadres of the CPN-Maoist. "There is no point sitting for talks with the government and the HLPC as they have not said anything about scrapping the 25-point ordinance for removing constitutional difficulties," Thapa argued.

Chairman of CPN(Maoist) Matrika Yadav alleged that the government and the HLPC were just staging a drama in the name of talks, and the government had been arresting party cadres and top leaders of major parties were threatening action against them. "The meeting concluded that the so-called HLPC and the government were not honest about talks. They have suppressed the voice of the agitating forces and arrested cadres involved in writing graffiti," Yadav told Republica.

The alliance meeting on Tuesday decided to intensify the poll boycott, demanding that the 25-point ordinance for removing constitutional difficulties be annuled. They also decided to stage protests across the country, includes burning the election code of conduct brought into force by the Election Commission on Thursday.

Among other things, the meeting has entrusted the taskforce led by CPN-Maost leader Dev Gurung with the responsibility for replying to the government and HLPC. A press statement issued by Gurung on behalf of the alliance said the taskforce would also unveil fresh protests and the posters for the purpose.
Meanwhile, CPN-Maoist affiliate Newa State Committee, in a press statement, condemned the arrest of their cadres Sirjana Rai and Shyam Bajracharya and demanded their immediate release. The two were arrested from Kopundol and seven other cadres were injured in a police baton-charge.

Earlier, the Baidya-led Maoists had formed a five-member talks team following the party´s central committee meeting held in Pokhara. But after receiving invitation letters from the HLPC and the government, the Maoists decided not to sit for talks, arguing that the letters were not really for talks and also condition were being stipulated. The HLPC has mentioned the condition not to talk about the CA poll date or changing the Khil Raj Regmi government.
from Republica