Maoist power sharing deal

The UCPN (Maoist) seems to have settled their protracted inter-party feud -- at least for the moment -- that has not only crippled the country’s largest political party but has also paralyzed the most urgent task of taking the derailed peace process to a logical end. However, given the nature of serious cracks that have cut across the party structure, it would be too early to say that the leaders have ironed out all their differences and if the party would recuperate from the wounds inflicted by factionalism anytime soon.



Clearly, the power concentration in the hands of Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal was the most contentious issue and that brought other leaders including his most trusted aides to form an alliance against him. A heavily centralized power structure that chairman Dahal exercised for years was a product the people’s war. However, when the party joined open politics following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2006, the Maoists surprisingly made no attempts to change the power structure. The party probably has the highest number of departments and wings incorporating professionals from almost every sector, but all have been rendered toothless. The party does have a finance department, but it is penniless. Insiders say Chairman Dahal keeps all financial transactions so close to himself that very few have any inkling about the sources and volume of the party fund.



It is a fact that Chairman Dahal has always been vacillating between the two conflicting ideologies floated by Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Mohan Baidya. And it was his luck that Dahal could tactfully manipulate one ideologue at the cost of the other to remain in power for years. However, the old tactic failed to work when both the ideologues teamed up two months ago to compel Dahal to bow to a power-sharing deal. With the settlement of the feud, the party leadership now has even bigger headwinds to face. On the top is to restore the confidence among its cadres that has been badly eroded by disputes that saw awful trading of allegations among the top leaders.



We believe the latest power-sharing deal has unveiled an opportunity to take a bold step in promoting internal democracy by empowering party organizations. Moreover, this might provide a wonderful chance to reform and transform the party’s functioning in line with democratic principles. We urge the leadership to seize the opportunity to strengthen internal democracy in which every leaders and cadres enjoy rightful power, accompanied by due responsibility and accountability. With the clock ticking toward the August end deadline of the Constituent Assembly, we are hopeful that settlement of Maoists row will bring in positive impetus to the stalled constitution writing process.

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