Except for some progress on the rehabilitation of former combatants, the UCPN (Maoist) is in no mood to make a headway on the prickly issues of peace and constitution-writing before February 13, the 17th anniversary of the launch of the Maoists’ “people’s war”.
Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has also proposed an amendment to the constitution drafting time table issued on January 6, which aims to find consensus on forms of governance by Saturday, January 29.
On Friday, both Dahal and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai remained absent from a meeting of the Constitutional Committee. Opposition parties Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have reacted furiously that the Maoists are not honest about writing a new constitution.
Dahal has persuaded the party’s hard-line faction to bid farewell to cantoned combatants who have expressed their willingness for voluntary retirement saying that it was only to give a message to other parties that the peace process is moving forward. “The party will not renege on bidding farewell to the combatants but the integration process will not move ahead without agreement on top ranks for integrated fighters,” said a leader.
Maoist leaders say the party will remain busy orienting cadre across the country till February 3 and will put all their efforts in anniversary preparations till February 13.
For the next three weeks, Dahal does not intend to show any flexibility in negotiations with other parties.
After the Maoist Central Committee concluded its meeting on January 15, which brought Dahal and Baidya closer, the Maoist chairman is rarely attending meetings of the Constitutional Committee, thereby stymieing progress on the peace and constitution drafting process.
One reason for Dahal’s unwillingness to push constitution writing is due to his commitment to the party’s hard-line faction that he would not compromise on the fundamental issues raised by his party.
At the same time, he has assured other parties that there is no alternative to concessions
from all sides to draft the new constitution.
Another reason, Maoist leaders say, is the NC’s love for the traditional parliamentary model as the system of governance to be enshrined in the new constitution. Dahal is telling his close aides that constitution writing is possible only if the NC makes some concession on the form of governance.
Dahal wants to secure top ranks for PLA combatants in the Nepal Army’s new directorate to be formed for the integration purpose before forging any agreement on the prickly issues of constitution.
After February 13, Maoist leaders say, Dahal will approach other parties for a border agreement on peace, constitution and government change.
No comments:
Post a Comment