Bhattarai and Baidhya under foreign influence‚ says Gajurel

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: A politburo member of the Unified CPN-Maoist today alleged that Vice-chairmen Mohan Baidhya and Baburam Bhattarai were under the influence of some foreign force.

According to Haribol Gajurel, a politburo member close to Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, their demand for work division is intended to destroy the party as per the direction of foreign and reactionary forces.

The chairman has already agreed to field Bhattarai as the prime ministerial candidate and Baidhya as the head of organisational department of the party, he said.

Gajurel added that the differing views of Bhattarai and Baidhya have already been exposed among party leaders and cadres. “This apolitical and immoral coalition is against the party unity and that would ultimately derail the peace and constitution drafting processes,” he said.

Following the standing committee meeting on Friday, Giriraj Mani Pokhrel said the issue of work division has been put off for now.

Discussions were on to give Baidhya the responsibility of the organisation while the other Bhattarai would look after the government and the parliament.

Pokhrel said the internal struggle will be intensified if chairman failed to address it in an appropriate manner along with other issues.

Leaders said the party was not satisfied with the working style of the government, claiming that it failed to follow the norms of a coalition government. Dahal had alleged that the other parties, including the Nepali Congress, were reluctant to implement the five-point deal besides holding discussions on army integration and the government. "Things are getting complicated and we must work to face the challenges and take a decision of work division accordingly," a standing committee member quoted Dahal as saying at the Friday’s meeting.

Dahal had also said the days ahead were not easy for the party as the parties were gradually backtracking on the earlier pacts. Another standing committee meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow and Dahal will present his political document with point-wise solution on the issues including peace, statute, government and internal rift.

(Published in The Himalayan Times on July 10, 2011)