Nepal’s Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said that his party does not intend to topple the Deuba Government even though it has formed an electoral alliance with the CPN-UMl.
Addressing the Parliamentary Party on Saturday, the former Prime Minister said the CPN (Maoist Centre), however, would quit the Government if Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba wants so, the Kathmandu Post reported.
Prachanda’s Maoist Centre is key coalition partner of the Deuba Government and it has been facing criticism for staying in the Government despite forging an alliance with the main opposition.
“We are not for affecting the polls by toppling the Government. However, if the Prime Minister and his party, the Nepali Congress, ask us to leave, we won’t continue in the Government,” he said, adding that the party’s “only mission at this time is both the federal and provincial polls on the scheduled dates”.
Prachanda’s Maoist party on October 3 announced an alliance with the country’s largest communist bloc CPN-UMl, ahead of key elections seen as the final step in the Himalayan nation’s post-war transition to a federal democracy.
The two parties, with a third smaller partner Naya Shakti Nepal, have agreed a tie up for general elections later this year, and plan to unify as a single communist party following the polls.
Prachanda, however, told his party members on Saturday that there were “some procedural lapses” while taking the decision of forging a left electoral alliance with the CPN-UMl and the Naya Shakti Nepal.
During the Maoist party’s politburo meeting and political training, Prachanda, however, admitted that forging the alliance without putting the matter for discussion at any of the committees of the party, which is a routine procedure, was a mistake, the daily said.
leaders including former Finance Minister Barshaman Pun had questioned the leadership about what he called “a surprising and abrupt announcement”.
Prachanda, however, tried to defend the move, saying the decision to forge an alliance with the UMl was a result of “extreme pressure and compulsion”.
He also made it clear that the decision of such a huge importance should have been taken after holding extensive discussions at different party committees.
“But that could not happen,” he said.
The left alliance, leaders of both the UMl and Maoist Centre have said, is a precursor to a unified “communist force”.