Ideological rift surfaces in Nepali Maoist party
A 'dissent' paper, proposed by senior Maoist leader Mohan Baidya during the party's recently held central committee meeting, has revealed serious ideological differences between two factions in the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M). While Baidya roots for a "people's republic", party Chairman and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is for a "democratic republic".
Baidya's proposal carries some weight. The party central committee couldn't defeat it. Neither did it endorse Chairman Dahal's paper, which remains committed to the current democratic republic for now. Dahal's proposal sees a people's republic as a long-term goal, with a "pro-people" constitution as a transition toward that end. In contrast, Baidya stresses that the party must opt for a people's republic with immediate effect.
Baidya's proposal, backed by senior leaders CP Gajurel, Ram Bahadur Thapa and Matrika Yadav among others, advocates state-controlled political and economic systems and says that the state must have strong control over all economic resources. A party central committee leader says the state can't provide justice to all marginalised classes like farmers, labourers, the dalit and the janajati (indigenous group) until it has full control over all economic resources.
Further elaborating on the Baidya proposal, the central committee leader said the proposal argues that all economic activities, such as industries, must function under direct regulation by the state. "This is how the state can be socialist and dispense justice to all sections of society," he said.
Stressing that the party fought the decade-long war for a people's republic, Baidya argues that the party can't undervalue the loss of hundreds of party cadres for the cause.
On the political front, Baidya's proposal states that there will be a multi-party democracy but it will not be a parliamentary one. The proposal says various political parties will be free to compete among themselves but they will function only within the norms and guidelines set by the state.
"The underlying meaning of the proposal is that there will be a single major political party in the centre and all other political parties will compete under norms set by the major political party," the central committee leader said. "But we are still open to discussing the structure of the political system."
He said the high number of political parties in developing countries poses a hurdle in the development process. "If there is only one major political party in a developing country like ours, we will be free from horse-trading and all other types of political malaise."
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