Prachanda pays court to Bijukchhe for support

Himalayan News Service

BHAKTAPUR; Unified CPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, one of the two candidates in the prime ministerial election scheduled for August 2, today claimed that Nepal Workers and Peasants Party was affirmative about supporting him.

“We have clarified that we are not going to accept unnecessary demands of the parties just for the sake of leading the government,” said Prachanda, following a meeting with NWPP Chairman Narayan Man Bijukchhe at the latter’s residence in Kamal Binayak, Bhaktapur.

Bijukchhe said he told the Maoist leaders that his party would support them only

if they opposed the United Democratic Madhesi Front’s demand of autonomous Madhes province.

Prachanda said his party upholds the feelings of marginalised communities, including Madhesis, Dalits, Muslims and indigenous nationalities.

NWPP had put forth a 15-point charter of demands to support the new government on July 21 when the first round elections for the post of prime minister were held.

“We discussed the 15-point demands raised by NWPP to be fulfilled by the new government,” said UCPN-M Vice Chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha ‘Prakash’, who accompanied Dahal in the meeting.

According to Shrestha, Bijukchhe said his party would support the Maoist candidate after the party expressed commitment to fulfill their demands. “We expressed commitment to the concerns raised by NWPP, as all those points were directly related to welfare of the country,” said Shrestha, adding both the parties agreed to form

a two-party mechanism

to ensure the implementation of those issues.

“We also told NWPP that all the parties should jointly sort out few of the demands and the Maoists should take initiative to implement them,” said Shrestha. He also said his party would sit for talks with UDMF in Singha Durbar on Saturday.

Earlier, during his meeting with the Maoist Vice Chairman duo Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Shrestha on July 19, NWPP Chairman Bijukchhe had demanded clear policy and programmes from the Maoists, as the basis to support their candidate.

Bijukchhe said the parties could request the President to make an appeal to form a government on the condition that it will garner majority within three months if the country failed to get a prime minister on August 2.