Thursday, June 05, 2008

Nepalese advance despite obstacles

Each day poses new challenges for the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).

Having stunned the world with its runaway success in the Nepalese elections, it has already secured the removal of the King and delivered on its promise to create a democratic, multi-party federal republic.

Although it did not win an outright majority of seats in the new parliament, the CPN (M) is by far the largest party, and is claiming the right to hold the two top posts of President and Prime Minister.

While the King agreed, with some encouragement, to vacate the Palace and to begin life anew as an ordinary citizen, former Prime Minister Koirala is clinging to his position and frustrating attempts to form a new government.


Maoist leader Prachanda sees a role for Koirala as the leader of an alliance of parties invited by the Maoists to join them in a Coalition Government, but quite correctly maintains that the Maoists, as the largest party in the new parliament, should occupy the two leading positions in the government and state.

Koirala’s Nepal Congress Party and the much-weakened Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) are currently engaged in talks with the Maoists about the composition of the new government.

Prachanda’s ace is the strength of the Nepalese masses, and he has threatened to take his party out of the government and wage a street movement in support of the Maoist position if the deadlock is not broken in the next few days.

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