But, in a marked departure from this trend, CPN-UML leaders spent less time criticizing the Maoists and more time stressing party consolidation and restructuring and intra-party democracy during their mass meeting in Kathmandu, Friday. [break]
Most of the top UML leaders, addressing the mass meeting organized at the Open Air Theater, said the party should be restructured and consolidated after its eighth national convention to be held in Butwal from February 16-21 so that it emerges as the largest party in the next election. They also stressed the need to guide the ongoing peace process to a logical conclusion.
Senior UML leaders Madhav Kumar Nepal and Bam Dev Gautam (who is also Deputy Prime Minister) didn´t use even a single word of criticism against the Maoists. KP Sharma Oli, who has earned a reputation for scathing criticisms against the Maoists, also didn´t use even a single word against the Maoists except to say that his party has the responsibility of bringing the "erratic" Maoists and "status-quoist" Nepali Congress to the right path. Oli also conceded that his party´s fight with the "ultra-leftists" has been weak.
CPN-UML leaders at the mass meet in the Open Air Theater on Friday.Zakaria Zainal
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While making a reference to the Maoists allegedly killing two UML youths and leaving another one maimed, UML chief Jhala Nath Khanal, at the end of his speech, said his party has the responsibility of ending "ultra-leftist anarchism". However, he didn´t utter the word "Maoist" at any point of his speech. Instead, he used the term "ultra-leftist".
On February 1, Maoist and UML leaders had agreed not to trade charges against each other in public. Similar promises made by both parties on December 27, 2008 and later at the high-level political mechanism were violated a number of times by leaders of both parties.
Tens of thousands of UML party cadres had converged at the Open Air Theater for the mass meeting after holding rallies in different parts of the capital. This was part of the party´s publicity campaign for its national convention. One UML cadre told myrepublica.com that about 7,000 volunteers were deployed for the mass meeting. A frail-looking Bam Dev Gautam, who returned Friday from Bangkok after undergoing medical treatment for about a week, also addressed the mass gathering.
Claiming that the UML was the main driver of political revolution, Khanal said the party should be guided forward aggressively through a restructuring of itself. "UML won´t take any rest until it reaches the democratic struggle to its conclusion," said Khanal. He also stressed the need to lead an economic revolution along with a political revolution, while pointing out that the country couldn´t make any significant strides in 1950 and 1990 despite the success of the political revolutions then because these revolutions didn´t involve any economic revolution.
Khanal said the UML´s election debacle last year was not only due to the party´s internal reasons. "There are external elements too contributing to it," he claimed.
Other leaders like KP Oli, MK Nepal and Bam Dev Gautam spent most of their speeches advocating further consolidation of the party. "It is high time the UML made its internal life democratic," said Oli. "There should be room for healthy discussions. There shouldn´t be any anarchic groupism in the name of democracy. Groupism should be swept away by the Tinau River in Butwal. UML should embrace democracy in such a way that it sets an example for the rest."
Oli and Nepal also said more youths should be brought into the leadership.
"UML can lead the country only if it can ensure unity among its own leaders," said Nepal. "If there is any power struggle among UML leaders, the party as well as the whole country will go descend to its doom. The UML should stand united and improve itself; that will give us more confidence."
Gautam said UML leaders shouldn´t grumble about any post-convention responsibilities given to them. "They will happily execute the duties assigned to them," said Gautam.
tilak@myrepublica.com
