By Sudeshna Sarkar
Kathmandu, Sep 18 (IANS) The crisis in Nepal deepened Tuesday with Maoist guerrillas readying to quit the government after their month-long ultimatum to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala expired with the premier refusing to concede their key demands.
In a last-ditch bid to avert the anarchy that is sure to follow if the rebels walk out of the government on the eve of a critical election, Koirala and Maoist chief Prachanda will be holding talks Tuesday morning.
However, till Monday night all indications pointed towards the talks failing as the Maoists refused to budge from their major demands that King Gyanendra be ousted and Nepal declared a republic by parliament before the Nov 22 election.
The Maoists are also demanding that the government revise the electoral system and follow a fully proportional method instead of a mixed system.
Koirala, bolstered by the international community, has ruled out conceding either demand.
The premier said the king’s fate should be decided by the election and not by parliament. Since Nepal’s current parliament is not an elected one, Nepal’s major donors have warned that such a major decision taken by it would not be considered legitimate by them.
The rebel decision would be made public Tuesday afternoon at a mass meeting in the capital.
On the eve of the meeting, the party’s mouthpiece, the Janadesh weekly indicated Tuesday indicated that the Maoists would begin a “street struggle”.
“If the Tuesday morning meet between chairman Prachanda and prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala results in an agreement to declare Nepal a republic, choose a fully proportional electoral system and integrate the guerrilla army with the Nepal Army, the mass meet will be our election campaign meet,” the weekly said Tuesday in its front-page report.
“However, if the talks fail, the party will announce its exit from the government and the launch of a fierce movement.”
The weekly blamed Koirala and his Nepali Congress party for the impasse, saying that both were dictated by foreign governments and were forcing the Maoists to quit the government by not heeding demands like disclosing the whereabouts of hundreds of people missing since the 10-year insurgency, and providing support to their families as well as people who became disabled while taking part in the pro-democracy movement.
If the Maoists walk out of the government, they would stage a new “revolt” that would include strikes in different sectors as well as an indefinite general strike that is certain to have a crippling effect on the election.
Though the guerrillas say the movement would be peaceful, there is growing fear that it could erupt into street violence.
The Maoists formally ended their “people’s war” last year and joined the government in April.
During their 170 days in power, they had several times threatened to quit the ruling alliance but the crisis was averted each time with the government conceding their demand.
This time, however, the differences seem irreconcilable as it concerns the fate of Nepal’s 238-year-old monarchy.
King Gyanendra lost the awe Nepalis had for their kings when he tried to rule the country with the backing of the army.
His 15-month regime triggered widespread public protests that forced him to step down and persuaded the new government to hold, for the first time in Nepal’s history, an election that would put monarchy to vote.
Though the Maoists had been initially demanding the vote, now however, with their support waning, they have begun clamouring for the abolition of monarchy before the election.