Kathmandu, April 22, 2008
CPN-Maoist Chairman Prachanda today reiterated his party’s commitment to republicanism and said the party is against multiple power centres.
Emerging out of the first postelection central secretariat meeting held at his Nayabazar residence today, Prachanda said, “We are open to a power sharing arrangement in a democratic manner. We will never become dictatorial.” “Our only concern is to avoid parallel power centres in the name of power balance,” he said, indicating the party’s wish to have total control over the state affairs.
Prachanda also said his party was clear about rooting out all forms of monarchy. “There are still some challenges to establish a republic and some people think we might give some privileges to the king, but we will abolish all forms of monarchy and will not tolerate anybody’s pressure to retain it,” he said.
“Our theory of graceful exit for the king should not mean that we have softened our stance,” Prachanda added.
The meeting also reviewed the Constituent Assembly poll process, party’s performance in the election, possible strategies to form new government, give continuity to coalition culture and bring the peace process to a logical end.
The party has also decided to initiate dialogue for collaboration with newly emerged political forces.
US mum on terror-tag review
Washington, April 22, 2008
The US has declined to say if it plans to take the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist off its list of terrorist organisations, now that the Maoists are poised to lead the new government.
“Well, I’m not sure what, if any discussions, might be going on in that regard,” State Department spokesperson Tom Casey told reporters yesterday when asked if the US was rethinking its Nepal policy following the Maoists’ election victory.
“As you know, there are legal criteria that are involved here,” he said, but also hinted at the possibility of a review to resolve the US dilemma. “I’m sure to the extent that any movement ends its association with terrorism and can do so in a way that would match those or meet those legal hurdles, that we’d certainly take a look at it,” Casey said.
“But I can’t tell you at this point whether there is, in fact, an ongoing review related to Nepal.” Asked if it suggested that the US was not severing any ties with the new government with Maoists in power even though it does not negotiate with terrorists, he parried: “Well, again, you know, an organisation being placed on the list of designated Foreign Terrorist Organisations has legal requirements that are placed on us. We have to honour those legal requirements and we’ll certainly do so in the case of Nepal.”
A version of this article appears in print on April 23, 2018 of The Himalayan Times.