Nepal Maoists unite to form new party

After a string of splits, Maoist groups in Nepal today joined hand to form a new political party under the leadership of Prachanda to prepare ground for a "socialist revolution" through pro-people capitalist revolution.

The merger of 10 Maoists groups, including the UCPN (Maoist) which is a part of the government, was announced at at a programme here. The new party has been named CPN-Maoist-Centre. UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Prachanda will chair the new party.

Prachanda, known for his anti-India stance, said the days of Maoists' defeat have come to an end.

"This is not only the unity among the Maoists but also a new kind of national unity," the 61-year-old former prime minister said.
 

"This marks the unity among the oppressed and exploited classes," he said.

Prachanda said that the Maoists emerged as a decisive force through the people's war launched under his leadership and later spilt and he took the initiatives for its unification.

Maoists have staged a decade-long insurgency in Nepal but their influence waned after they came to power with a landslide victory in election in 2008.

Prachanda also called on top Maoists leaders Mohan Baidya, Baburam Bhattarai and Netra Bikram Chand, who had split from the party, to join the unification campaign.

Prachanda said though the Maoists became successful in bringing about the political revolution against authoritarianism, there were still some remnants left.

He also announced the newly formed party's decision to prepare ground for socialist revolution through pro-people capitalist revolution.

He said the new party would fight against the tyrannical, high-caste arrogance and colonial tendencies that still exist among the ruling class.

Narayan Kaji Shrestha will be the vice chairman, Ram Bahadur Thapa will be the general secretary and Krishna Bahadur Mahara will be deputy general secretary of the new party.

Civil war in Nepal claimed about 16,000 lives. Maoists in 2006signed a peace deal which ended the insurgency against monarchy that ruled the Himalayan nation for more than 200 years. After the peace deal, Nepal was transformed from a Hindu nation to a secular republic.