---------- From: "Magnus Bernhardsen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Peoples War] Nepal: 'UML has edge over Maoists in wooing other Leftists' http://www.nepalnews.com.np/contents/englishdaily/ktmpost/2001/sep/sep24/ind ex.htm#3 UML has edge over Maoists in wooing other Leftists By Utpal Raj Misra KATHMANDU, Sept 23 � The main opposition Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist) and the ultra-Left CPN (Maoists) are wooing smaller Left parties for unification or working alliance. But no concrete results have been accomplished yet. It has been more than a month since the various Left parties started their unification process calling each other for dialogue. But they have not been able to sort out their differences till date. First, it was the main opposition party CPN-UML which formally called nine other "like minded parties" to discuss unification. Then the Maoists followed suit, coming forward with its own unification proposal. Both these bigger Left forces in the country are trying to outdo each other to become the largest communist party. This tug-o-war between these two forces, the pragmatic and the dogmatic, started with each trying to get over another. But the proposal of the CPN (UML) is more practical as the smaller parties have differences with the Maoists� "People�s war." But none has come forward with any concrete plant whatsoever. Many small Left parties have serious ideological differences with these two major forces. They all claim that the call for unification of the parties in opposite poles of the "communist revolution" in Nepal is not just for strengthening the individual parties but for uniting the fragmented and therefore "weakened" communists. Leaders of CPN-UML claim that the party is open to discuss unification with all "like minded parties" and say that the Maoists don�t fall in that category but don�t have any problems with Maoists initiating dialogues with other parties. "All parties are free to talk with one another and we are not concerned about any other party other than ours sitting in dialogue with anyone. We are happy that they are exercising their rights as we are," says Bharat Mohan Adhikari, a politburo member of the CPN-UML, who also heads the party�s dialogue committee. Leaders of other prominent left parties such as ML and the United People�s Front Nepal say that the dialogue is necessary but admit that unification with the Maoists would not be possible as there are some differences in principle. And the majority of the smaller parties too reiterate the same thing. "We cannot unite with the Maoists as we have differences in principle but can certainly work together," says Siddhi Lal Singh, leader of the CPN (ML). According to Singh, ML is talking with every left party and there always is possibility of a working unity with all of them. "But the merger is possible only with the UML," says Singh. On the other hand, Lila Mani Pokharel, general secretary of the United People�s Front Nepal wipes out the possibility of unity with any party but says that it is the duty of all the left parties to sort out differences among them. The UML did not even recognise the ML as a political party for the last four years, says Pokharel. "But now it has recognised it and is holding the dialogue for unity." In Pokharel�s view, the Maoists too have many positive points but they are presently making a political mistake. "But that should not be the reason why we should not talk with them," says Pokhrel. But he adds that despite the differences, various Left parties� effort to unify has brought these parties closer. "This process is a competition between the left parties to come up with the best communist theory and it is not going to end in the short run. This process will only end when there is a classless society." So much for the conceptual explanation of the communists but as the present situation goes, the pragmatists have the upper hand in wooing the mediocre parties than the Maoists. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
