Kosh Raj Koirala – Asian Tribune Correspondent in Nepal
Kathmandu, 08 May, (Asiantribune.com): Nepal Maoists have stepped up their protest activities against President Dr Ram Baran Yadav over his move to reinstate army chief Rookmangud Katawal. On the third day on a row, the Maoist cadres staged demonstration in various parts of the country including in the capital city Kathmandu demanding that the President Dr Yadav revoke his decision. On Thursday morning, the Maoist-affiliated women organization held sit-in protest in front of the President’s office for one hour to press for the demand. Police had to intervene the protest as the agitating women activists enter into prohibited zone.
Likewise, the party’s youth organization, Young Communist League (YCL) held rallies with slogans from all three districts in Kathmandu Valley on Thursday morning. The rally walked past major thoroughfares of the cities.
Reports said the Maoists-affiliated transportation workers took out a rally of vehicles in the tourist city of Pokhara, a town lying in western part of the country. The rally went around major parts of Pokhara including Phulbari, Mahendrapul Chipledhunda and New Road and ended at Prithvi Chowk.
The protesting Maoist activists also burnt down effigy of President Dr Ram Baran Yadav and chanted strong slogans against Nepali Congress and CPN-UML.
Similar protest was organized Mahendranagar in far western Nepal. The Maoists cadres staged demonstration in all the four districts of Mahakali zone, asking President to revoke his decision. Meanwhile, a politburo meeting of the Maoists decided to stage more protest programs to exert pressure on President Dr Yadav to revoke what they said 'unconstitutional' move to reinstate the army chief.
Most of the politburo members who spoke during the meeting that concluded on Thursday had suggested intensifying protests activities from the parliament and from the streets until 'civilian supremacy' is upheld.
Meanwhile, international community and opposition parties have cast serious doubt over Maoist’s commitment to multi-party democratic system and to the ongoing peace process after a video tape featuring the party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal revealed that the Maoists continue to remain firm on establishing ‘people’s republic’ through ‘people’s rebellion’ even as they struck a deal with democratic parties in December, 2005.
The video of the recently resigned Prime Minister Dahal, also known as Prachanda, was shot in January 2008 and surfaced a day after his resignation on Monday.
Dahal is shown joking about how they duped the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) into thinking they had 35,000 fighters when in fact they only had 7,000 to 8,000, which allowed them to swell their ranks to 20,000. These combatants are set to be integrated in the national army as per the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) reached in the past between the Maoist and the main stream parties.
Among others, he is shown to be confirming the suspicions of Nepal Army top brass and opposition parties’ leaders by saying that it would take only a small number of politically indoctrinated Maoist combatants to establish "complete Maoist control" of the Nepal Army—only force resisting the Maoists plan in the country now.
- Asian Tribune -
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