Maoist-led govt in five days, says Prachanda

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

HETAUDA: Unified CPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal today claimed that the country would get a consensus government under his party leadership within five days.

“The chances of the Maoist-led consensus government within five days are high. There is sufficient ground for this,” the Maoist chief told mediapersons at a conference organised by Revolutionary Journalists’ Union in Hetauda today.

The other two major parties — CPN-UML and the Nepali Congress — are positive towards the Maoist-led government, he claimed.

On a different note, the UCPN-M chairman said the transfer of the PLA combatants from the Maoist party to the Prime Minister-led Special Committee had stunned the world.

“The handover of the Maoist combatants to the SC has turned down the allegations that Maoists are against peace and statute-writing processes. Instead, it has paved the

way for taking the peace process to a logical conclusion,” added Dahal.

The Maoist boss also made it clear that the PLA personnel were no longer his party

combatants.

“As the single largest party in the Constituent Assembly, UCPN-M has democratic and legal rights to stake claim for the government leadership,” asserted Dahal, hoping that new statute could be drafted by May 28 if his party got the chance to be at the helm.

In a response to the media query who would be his party’s prime ministerial candidate if the Maoist got a chance to lead the new government, Prachanda said the party had already finalised the candidate.

On the occasion, he glossed over the internal rift in the party pertaining to the PM candidature and said the latest Central Committee meeting had resolved minor ideological differences that had surfaced lately.

“The ideological rift will not split the party; rather, it will further strengthen it,” he claimed.

On his way to Kathmandu from Shaktikhor, Chitwan, Dahal had stayed in Hetauda last night. He met his party cadres from Makwanpur district during the stay.