"We decided to convene the orientation program with a view to hold deliberations on the party´s policies and programs. Ours is a democratic party and the chairman can hold discussions with cadres. It´s not a big deal," Baidya told reporters upon his arrival in Dang on Sunday.[break]
Baidya´s statement has come as a volte-face on the strong objection made by other leaders from his faction against party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal´s announcement to convene the event.
Party secretary CP Gajurel, a key leader of Baidya faction, had told Republica on Saturday that cadres from the faction would boycott the orientation program. Gajurel even threatened to organize a parallel event if the establishment held the orientation program unilaterally.
While Baidya hailed the government-introduced relief program as an achievement of the government, he said the government was failing to make any progress with regard to advancing the twin tasks of constitution-writing and peace process.
He, however, criticized the prime minister for taking decisions without consulting him. "He (prime minister) should consult us before taking any decision. He can´t take unilateral decisions," Baidya said. "We took to the street and staged a torch rally against the government decisions because we wanted to correct the government."
He informed that they would pressure the government to withdraw the decision to return the land seized by the Maoists during the insurgency.
"The government should make alternative arrangement for those who have been using the seized land before asking them to leave the place. This decision must be corrected because we fought for ten years for the cause of peasants and the poor. How can we instruct them to return the land they have been using for years without offering them anything in return?" said Baidya.
Talks to cadres loyal to him
Baidya arrived in Dang district for consolidating his faction´s hold in the midwestern region of the country.
Immediately after he arrived in Dang on Sunday, Baidya talked to the party cadres close to his faction in the district. He, however, claimed that it was a family gathering. "I arrived here just to see my parents and and brothers. There is no political motive behind my visit," said Baidya.
But at his younger brother´s residence, Baidya met his loyals. According to local leaders in the district, Baidya was unwilling to make his visit public.
Baidya faction cadres held several rounds of separate gatherings at Tulsipur, Lamahi and Ghorahi in the recent days. They distanced themselves from the party´s establishment faction mainly after the present Maoist-headed government decided to return the seized land and property and hand over the keys of arms containers to the government-formed Special Committee.
The party´s district in-charge Nirmal Acharya didn´t meet Baidya in Dang but district secretary Subhas Pun Magar held a meeting with Baidya. The recent factional activities of the Maoist party clearly indicate that the cadres have been sharply divided into two factions from the party´s top level to the grassroots.
"We had instructed the cadres not to meet with Baidya but later we found that they met with him secretly," said a local leader close to the party´s establishment at Hapur VDC.
According to a teacher who is an organized member of a teachers´ union close to the Maoist party, cadres from the Baidya faction held a separate meeting at Tulsipur just ahead of the Dashain festival with a view to thrash out the future course of the faction.
However Baidya told reporters that the disputes within his party was manageable and they were holding constructive discussions for settling them. He claimed that the reports saying that the Maoist party was on the verge of split were baseless.
Related story
It's ok
-1200x560-1779450784.webp)
