ITAHARI: The UCPN (Maoist) Eastern Command has decided to hold a mass meeting in Itahari, Sunsari on May 1.

The party regional body shared its decision through a press meet here today. According to the source, preparations for the mass meeting were underway.

Speaking at a programme, Eastern Command In-charge Girirajmani Pokhrel said the objective of the mass meeting was to inform the people about the party´s policy and programmes floated by the party´s Hetaunda General Convention.

The upcoming Constituent Assembly (CA) election to be held in the near future is significant and drafting of the federal republican constitution along with ethnic identity is not possible without garnering two-third majority, he said, adding that Itahari mass meeting is meant for revitalizing the party bodies and garner the people´s support in the upcoming election.

Party top leaders including party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and Vice chairman duo Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Narayankaji Shrestha are scheduled to address the gathering.

“We have a target to bring 100,000 people together in the meeting, he added.The mass meeting is expected to search for faults in Marxism, Maoism and Leninism and review them.

Besides, to mount pressure to the government for announcing the date for the upcoming election was also the objective of the mass meeting.

According to leader Pokhrel, preparations for the mass meeting have reached the final phase and they were working actively to make it ´historic´ and ´successful´

KATHMANDU: Former CPN-UML’s tallest figure from the Madhes region Ram Chandra Jha joined the UCPN (Maoist) on Saturday.
After joining the former rebel party, Jha said he joined the Maoist party due to common understanding in state restructuring and the Maoists’ new political doctrine approved by the recently held 7th national jamboree.

“I am joining the Maoist with full conviction to the party’s new guideline passed by the general convention. I reached a conclusion to join the Maoist instead of enjoying merely as a bystander,” he said while addressing some 200 plus cadres and leaders.
Maoist supremo Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai welcomed the newest entrant in the UCPN (Maoist) party.

Jha was the UML’s seniormost leader from the Tarai belt. Similarly, Jha is the most influential figure to join the Maoist from the UML.
Also on the occasion, former UML lawmaker Lucky Sherpa and leaders of Youth Association Nepal joined the Maoist alleging the UML of betraying the people.

Also speaking at the same program, YAN’s former leader Harendra Ray Yadav, a permanent resident of Rautahat district, said he wanted to defeat UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal in the upcoming CA polls.

Addressing the program, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Prachanda hoped to secure more votes and increase party’s clout in Madhes and overall national politics.

He said Jha’s entry in the UCPN (Maoist) would spread a new wave of political polarization in the present time and urged all progressive forces to unite for the cause of the country.

Itahari: Nepali Congress senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba has claimed that the promises made by the UCPN Maoist leaders during their ongoing seventh  general convention were just ‘piles of lies’, aimed at deceiving the general public.

Speaking here on Monday, the former Prime Minister commented that the political document of UCPN Maoist, which the party intends to endorse through the jumboree, will not yield results unless the party leaders give up their totalitarian attitude. 

Accusing the Maoist leaders of constantly deflecting from their promises, Deuba said that the party leaders lacked accountability to believe in their proposal. 

Deuba even accused the Maoist led government and the party leadership of protecting murderers, extortionists and rapists and asserted that seeking a new mandate from the public through elections can end the ongoing political stalemate in the country.

Stating that the nation was under great crisis and difficult situation, Deuba called on all opposition political parties to unite against the incumbent government for forming a new government. 

Commenting on the recent protest programs of the opposition parties, Deuba said that the opposition parties were gaining strength and expressed confidence that the agitation will gain momentum soon to topple the Bhattarai government.

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s ruling and opposition parties continued debating the leadership of the national consensus government without making headway in that direction.

The status quo remained in place after UCPN Maoist, on Sunday decided to transform the incumbent Baburam Bhattarai led government into national consensus one.

Leading opposition parties, Nepali Congress and CPN Maoist, on the other hand also maintained that they would not participate in any government that is led by the leader of any of the ruling parties.

A meeting of the UCPN Maoist office bearers at party Chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal’s residence on Sunday morning decided that the party leadership should strive to garner consensus in transforming the present government into a national consensus one.

Spokesperson of the party Agni Prasad Sapkota said that the party has decided to float the proposal officially to other parties in the discussions yet to come.

The party reached such a conclusion after weighing the pros and cons of forming the national consensus government in its own leadership and in others leadership.

However, Congress and the opposition Maoist party have declined to participate in the present government or in any government led by leaders from the incumbent ruling parties.

A meeting held between senior leaders of both parties at NC President Sushil Koirala on Sunday took such a decision after concluding that the incumbent government is the root of the ongoing status quo.

Along with rejecting PM Bhattarai’s leadership, both parties have also trashed UCPN Maoist’s earlier proposal to form consenus government in the leadership of DPM Narayan Kaji Shrestha or DPM Bijay Kumar Gachhadar.

CPN Maoist Vice Chairman C P Gajurel said that they have decided to topple the Bhattarai led government at any cost and claimed that the opposition parties will launch stern agitation and use every available resources to do so. (www.nepalireporter.com)