After writing dozens of ‘notes of dissent’ and months of open protests, the hardliners within the Maoists seem to be coming around. Although one cannot mistake them for abandoning their line of ‘total revolution’, Saturday’s central committee meeting has opened up yet another possibility of reconciliation between the party establishment and the faction led by party vice chairman Mohan Baidya.
On Saturday’s Central Committee meeting, Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal presented a political document which among many other things, proposes inducting members from the disgruntled faction into the ‘soon to be formed’ national unity government. Although the meeting lasted just over two hours, spokesperson Dinanath Sharma informed the media that the leaders will meet again in two days. Vice chairman Baidya has agreed to study the document and is expected to address the next CC meeting after discussing the proposal with other members from his faction.
In the last few weeks, the uncertainty surrounding the integration process and following the media exposé on embezzlement of rationed money for the soldiers in the cantonments, the party establishment has come under fire and is struggling to maintain its credibility in the media as well as within its own PLA. In the last three days, the commanders from various cantonments have submitted a memorandum to the party chairman Dahal and vice chairman and prime minister Baburam Bhattarai.
The Maoist party establishment had been putting off its central committee meeting for a while due to internal rift within the party. But growing pressure from its cadres and aggressive drive by the opposition parties to unseat them from the government has prompted Dahal and Bhattarai to engage with disgruntled faction. While the NC has been claiming leadership of the next national unity government, UML is once again trying to present itself as an ‘acceptable candidate’.
If the Baidya faction agrees on Dahal's proposal, there might be a major shuffle in the government soon. This will also secure Bhattarai's government and put pressure on the opposition to join the government under his leadership.
ANURAG ACHARYA