KATHMANDU, Nov 13: Concluding their second phase of protests, Maoists on Friday issued a weeklong ultimatum to the ruling parties to meet their demand for "civilian supremacy". [break]
“We issue Nov 20 ultimatum to the government to meet our demand. If they (ruling parties) don´t address our demand, a mass movement will be launched in all 75 districts, and no one will be able to stop it. It will be aggressive and widespread than the current one,” Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal told a rally in Kathmandu.
Wrapping up their two-day picketing of Singha Durbar, the Maoist protestors had flocked to the rally near Bhrikuti Mandap exhibition grounds in the afternoon. Maoist Chairman Dahal and Vice Chair Dr Baburam Bhattarai had addressed the rally that saw the participation of thousands of people, who had been brought to the capital from across the country.
Maoists have staging protests and obstructing the parliamentary proceedings protesting “the extra-constitutional move of president Dr Ram Baran Yadav” to reinstate the then Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Rookmangud Katawal.
Addressing the gathering, Dahal said that the Maoists in connection with their demand for “civilian supremacy” would not compromise under any circumstances. “The ongoing protests will not come to an end unless the president´s extra-constitutional move is rectified,” he said.
The Maoist chairman also claimed that regressive forces were alarmed at participation of the “sea of humanity” in the protest. He added that the diplomats had congratulated him the Maoists for their “restrained, peaceful and novel way of staging protests”.
The former rebel leader also accused the ruling parties of conspiring to dissolve the Constituent Assembly and force the Maoists to go back to the jungle. “They think that we will go back to jungle so that they can be in power here. But we will not give them any chance,” Dahal said whipping up the masses.
Maoist vice chair Dr Bhattarai, who is the coordinator of the Maoists´ United People´s Mass movement, was more aggressive. He said the Maoists just knocked the door of Singha Durbar in the second phase of protest and would break into the government secretariat in the third phase. Referring to Hindu mythology Mahabharata, Dr Bhattarai said the Maoists have just asked for their share of five villages, just as the Pandavas did, and if it is not fulfilled, they will face the ruling parties at Hastinapur (the final battleground in the mythology).
Janadesh´s plan to capture aerial views foiled
Janadesh weekly´s plan to capture aerial views of the Maoist picketing of Singha Durbar was foiled after the government did not allow it citing security reasons.
As per the plan, the weekly had paid Rs 20,000 in advance to Fishtail Air to charter a helicopter and was scheduled to take off, with a group of journalists, at 12.15 from the Kathmandu airport, but the plan was canceled after the airline did not get permission from the Civil Aviation Authority.
The journalists had returned from the airport, after the government did not allow the helicopter to take off. “It is against international practice and press freedom,” said Manarishi Dhital, editor of the weekly.
Talking to myrepublica.com, Home Ministry´s Spokesperson Jaya Mukunda Khanal said that he did not know anything about it. “I am not informed about it,” he said.
Walkie-talkie sets of Maoist leaders´ personal bodyguards stop functioning
Walkie-talkie sets belonging to personal security officers (PSOs) of five Maoist leaders have stopped functioning all at once since Thursday afternoon. “Yes, the sets have stopped functioning. But we don´t know the reason,” said Maoist foreign department chief Krishna Bahadur Mahara.
According to Maoist sources, the communication sets belonging to the PSOs´ of Mahara, party vice chairs Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Narayan Kaji Shrestha, general secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa, and standing committee member Dev Gurung are currently dysfunctional.
Talking to myrepublica.com, Bishnu Rijal, advisor to Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, however, said that the reason could have been technical as there is no reason for the government to sever the communication network of the leaders.
post@myrepublica.com
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