Maoist supremo Prachanda today said that yesterday’s historic agreement between the seven-party alliance (SPA) and his party has, in essence, put the monarchy virtually under the state of suspension until constituent assembly polls and made clear that the Prime Minister of the interim government would be de facto head of state.
Addressing his first official press conference in the capital Wednesday evening, Prachanda said the letter of the agreement, which states that the King shall be kept powerless-- without any kind of resources-- “means, in essence, that the monarchy remains under the state of suspension until the verdict of the constituent assembly”.
“The Prime Minister of the interim government will be de facto head of state,” he said, mentioning that Girija Prasad Koirala would also lead the interim government inclusive of the Maoists.
Prachanda announced that he, along with two other senior leaders - Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ - would not join the interim government and that the party had not yet decided who would be leading the party in the interim government. Dr Bhattrai, ‘Badal’, Maoist talks coordinator Krishna Bahadur Mahara, talks team members Dev Gurung and Dina Nath Sharma and other central Maoist leaders were also present at the press conference, which was closely guarded by unarmed Maoist militia.
Prachanda said his party would immediately start preparations for establishment of cantonments to settle the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and informed that the mass meeting scheduled for Friday when he would make his “first official public appearance” at Khula Manch, Kathmandu, has been cancelled. In place of the Friday’s mass meeting, victory rallies would be carried out all over the country until Friday.
Asked about the pressure on local residents of Kathmandu to provide food and shelter to Maoist cadres, the Maoist chairman said there’s been exaggeration of the issue and claimed that the party had no intention to put such a pressure.
Speaking further, Prachanda indirectly lauded India’s cooperation for allowing the 12-point SPA-Maoist agreement take place in its land last November, and revealed that he was likely to informally talk with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and ruling Congress party president Sonia Gandhi during the ‘leadership summit’ slated for November 17-18 in New Delhi.
The Maoist supremo has been invited to attend the summit organised by Hindustan Times, a leading Indian national daily. Indian PM Singh and ruling Congress chief Gandhi are among the high profile invitees of the summit.
Prachanda further said a section of international community, especially the USA, was unhappy with the SPA-Maoist agreement and that there might be conspiracies in future.
On constituent assembly, he said federation system, radical socio-economic transformation along with land reform and inclusiveness in all aspects of political system would be key agendas of his party for the polls.
He also stressed the need to downsize the future National Army, which will also include PLA members and made clear that arms of the PLA would not be destroyed. “We need to restructure the Nepali Army to make it democratic. And, we want to professionalise our PLA,” he said.
The rebel leader, who led the decade-long armed insurgency into a successful peace deal, said Nepal could set a development model in South Asia within 10 years if the political forces become able to change their mindset and utilise the “historic opportunity” yesterday’s agreement has created.
“We have abundant human and national resources and we can take Nepal on top of South Asian level within 10 years if we adequately mobilise the resources we have,” he said.
“The Prime Minister of the interim government will be de facto head of state,” he said, mentioning that Girija Prasad Koirala would also lead the interim government inclusive of the Maoists.
Prachanda announced that he, along with two other senior leaders - Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ - would not join the interim government and that the party had not yet decided who would be leading the party in the interim government. Dr Bhattrai, ‘Badal’, Maoist talks coordinator Krishna Bahadur Mahara, talks team members Dev Gurung and Dina Nath Sharma and other central Maoist leaders were also present at the press conference, which was closely guarded by unarmed Maoist militia.
Prachanda said his party would immediately start preparations for establishment of cantonments to settle the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and informed that the mass meeting scheduled for Friday when he would make his “first official public appearance” at Khula Manch, Kathmandu, has been cancelled. In place of the Friday’s mass meeting, victory rallies would be carried out all over the country until Friday.
Asked about the pressure on local residents of Kathmandu to provide food and shelter to Maoist cadres, the Maoist chairman said there’s been exaggeration of the issue and claimed that the party had no intention to put such a pressure.
Speaking further, Prachanda indirectly lauded India’s cooperation for allowing the 12-point SPA-Maoist agreement take place in its land last November, and revealed that he was likely to informally talk with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and ruling Congress party president Sonia Gandhi during the ‘leadership summit’ slated for November 17-18 in New Delhi.
The Maoist supremo has been invited to attend the summit organised by Hindustan Times, a leading Indian national daily. Indian PM Singh and ruling Congress chief Gandhi are among the high profile invitees of the summit.
Prachanda further said a section of international community, especially the USA, was unhappy with the SPA-Maoist agreement and that there might be conspiracies in future.
On constituent assembly, he said federation system, radical socio-economic transformation along with land reform and inclusiveness in all aspects of political system would be key agendas of his party for the polls.
He also stressed the need to downsize the future National Army, which will also include PLA members and made clear that arms of the PLA would not be destroyed. “We need to restructure the Nepali Army to make it democratic. And, we want to professionalise our PLA,” he said.
The rebel leader, who led the decade-long armed insurgency into a successful peace deal, said Nepal could set a development model in South Asia within 10 years if the political forces become able to change their mindset and utilise the “historic opportunity” yesterday’s agreement has created.
“We have abundant human and national resources and we can take Nepal on top of South Asian level within 10 years if we adequately mobilise the resources we have,” he said.
