‘An end to violence … through the use of violence’ – Mohan Baidya, UCPN (Maoist)

The 28 August election of Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) leader Baburam Bhattarai as the country's new prime minister led to a flicker of hope among a populace increasingly pessimistic about the political atmosphere and stagnating peace process. Within days of his election, Prime Minister Bhattarai, now backed by Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal (aka 'Prachanda'), who had earlier sought to sabotage Mr Bhattarai's elevation, did take two significant steps related to the peace process. First, he symbolically handed over the keys of the weapons containers of all the 28 Maoist cantonments to an official committee (the 'Special Committee') formed to oversee the integration and rehabilitation of the combatants; and second, he issued a formal notice to the party cadres to return private properties seized by members of the party. These demands were primary conditions set by the country's two other largest political parties, the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), to complete the process of integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants, which would allow work to proceed on drafting.

These moves met with stiff opposition from a faction within Prime Minister Bhattarai's own party. This group of hardliners, led by senior Maoist leader Mohan Baidya (aka 'Kiran'), termed the prime minister manoeuvres a 'capitulation to regressive forces', and vociferously demanded a meeting of the party's Central Committee to deliberate the issue. The crucial meeting was expected to see fierce exchanges between the current configuration 'hardliners' and 'moderates'. (As Himal goes to press, the meeting is scheduled for 30 September.)