The Nepali Congress (Deuba) held its fourth regional meet in Birgunj Sunday to draw grassroots support after a split in the ruling party more than one month ago.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who heads one wing of the splintered party, again reiterated leader of the other faction Girija Prasad Koirala helped the Maoists by expelling him from the organization on the issue of extending the national emergency.
Deuba defied party president Koirala and extended the emergency. The two factions have been trading personal accusations blaming each other for the split in Nepal’s oldest party. Koirala has also been holding such regional meetings.
A senior US diplomat last week described the crisis in the ruling party as a power struggle which is marring the fight against terrorism as Washington finalizes a massive aid package to fund the government’s anti-terrorism drive.
The Deuba Congress held similar regional meetings in Biratnagar, Pokhara and Janakpur. Deuba again said the November 13 snap vote will be a referendum between peace and war.
Deuba said Sunday there can be talks with Maoists to end the insurgency only if they surrender their weapons. Deuba said this amid newspaper speculation that government and Maoists are holding secret talks after rebels said they are ready to participate in the coming elections if an interim government is formed to hold the polls.
Analysts said this is a softening of their previous hard-line stance demanding a constitution assembly to frame a new constitution.
The army last week told reporters the Maoists are preparing for a big attack against security forces in their stronghold in Rolpa and Rukum in far west Nepal in August even as the rebels say they a ready to contest the forthcoming vote.
In the last major rebel offensive against the military in Rolpa on May 27, five soldiers died but more than 200 rebels were killed and another 1,000 were injured when the army repulsed the attack. nepalnews.com br July 21