Prachanda : 'Royal palace will be stormed if poll disruption attempted' [ April 3, 2008 ]
Nandalal Tiwari
CPN-Maoist Chairman Prachanda on Wednesday termed the election to the Constituent Assembly (CA) as an ordeal for his party and the people and claimed that his party would win the election, as the people were eager to get through such a historic test.
Reiterating his commitment to accept people's verdict he cautioned the people to keep vigil and foil all anti-poll conspiracies as the feudal and reactionary forces were yet to emerge for a final battle to maintain their status and avert the changes.
He appealed to the international community to stand together with the aspiration of the Nepalese people for a drastic change and not to be apprehensive of his party's victory, as his party would maintain diplomatic relation with them all, even with the USA.
Prachanda directed party activists to exercise restraint to ensure that the polls could be held peacefully and the reactionary forces would have no pretext to attempt to disrupt it and the statusquoists to blame his party.
Addressing an election rally at the Open Air Theatre today the Maoist supremo said, "Given the nationwide wave of public support for our party it is inevitable that we will emerge victorious in the CA election if it is held in a free, fair and impartial manner."
Stating that his party was committed to institutionalise political revolution through peaceful means of election and form a new Nepal he warned of storming the Royal Palace if the feudal elements tried to meddle with the poll process and if there was treachery against new Nepal.
He stated that all forms of oppression and exploitation would end with the building of new Nepal, which would be a federal democratic republic. Within a few years, our country will be prosperous with proper utilisation of human and natural resources which we have, he said.
He assured that his party would not resort to arms but instead would urge people for peaceful action against any plots to defeat his party in the poll.
"It is impossible to go to the election and deny the result. The grapevine that we would not accept the poll outcome is not only baseless but a plot against us. We will accept the poll result, but the main point is the poll should be held in a free, fair and fearless manner," he pointed out.
Prachanda is contesting from Rolpa-2 and Kathmandu-10. Urging the civil servants to play a neutral role, he lamented over the reports carried by some media that only the Maoist activists were involved in the election clashes.
"Some media houses are bent on projecting tussles as if they were initiated by our cadres and ignoring the issue of our cadres being murdered in course of the poll. They have even showed indifference to the attempt made at assassinating me."
A criminal group with sophisticated weapons had tried to get into a Maoist mass meting in Siraha district few days back targeting Prachanda. YCL members were able to track them down and were hand them over to the police.
He came down heavily on Madhav Kumar Nepal, General Secretary of CPN-UML, for saying that the Nepal Army could be mobilised to control the Maoist party if it continued with extortion in course of poll campaign. "People are ashamed of Nepal for his sycophantic overtures towards the army generals." He urged the police and the army personnel to vote for his party claiming that it was the only champion for a new and prosperous Nepal.
The Maoist strongman also urged national and international poll observers to maintain independency and impartiality. "I have heard that some observation teams are planning to term the poll illegal if we win. The observers should make their say clear before the result comes out." Saying that the whole world was watching the Nepalese CA poll he blamed that India and the US were out to defeat his party whereas justice and equality loving people were wishing for its victory.
"I request the people to note that their rivals at the moment were not the NC and UML but India and US, who were out to defeat the Maoists and back the party of their choice to make it victorious in the CA," he said. "My appeal to the seven parties to form an electoral alliance was ignored by the NC and UML at the behest of such foreign powers."
Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, another Maoist leader, asserted that only a new leadership, new thought could make a new Nepal and urged the people to make his party for implementing the agenda of New Nepal as only his party had the potential to change the country.
"Those who called us terrorist for demanding the CA poll, fixed the price of our heads for fighting for republic and called us separatists when we demanded for a federal system can never write the new constitution to implement these agendas," he blamed.
Khagendra Sangraula, a noted literary figure and columnist, urged the people to vote in support of a republican state and a change loving force. As an independent figure he urged the Maoist leadership to direct their cadres to exercise patience and stop all coercive activities if any and make a peaceful environment for the poll.
"I have come here to show whom I have selected to vote and urge you all to select one that is fighting for historic change," he said, adding, "There are good people even in NC and UML."
All 33 Maoist candidates for the poll, 15 for direct and 18 for proportional electoral system, from the Kathmandu valley were present in the mass gathering. Maoist leaders Pampha Bhusal, Barshaman Pun and Hisila Yami addressed the rally amidst songs and dances presented by different cultural groups of the party as well as renowned singer Ramesh, Shambhu Rai, and Jiten Rai. Former Nepalese ambassador to Japan, Dr. Bishnu Hari Nepal was welcomed into the Maoist party. Nepal was initially a supporter of CPN-UML.
(For regular updates on the Nepalese Revolution, see Red Star magazine online: http://www.krishnasenonline.org/theredstar/trsindex.php)
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