PLA won’t be confined in cantonments before restructuring of state: Prachanda

September 3, 2006
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Maoist chairman Prachanda has said the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will not be confined in cantonments before the state is completely restructured.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the 1st national conference of the families of persons disappeared by the state on Sunday in Kathmandu, Prachanda warned that the Maoists would start ‘urban uprising’ if peace talks failed to give solution to political problems.

The Maoist chief also claimed that some national and international elements were trying to push the Maoists out of the peace process.

He also asked the party men to be ready for new ‘urban uprising’ and added that his party would continue the protests unless the state made public the whereabouts of all the disappeared people. He, however, did not mention about the fate of people disappeared by the Maoist rebels.

He also informed that the first condition of the Maoists in the high level talks with the ruling seven party alliance will be the whereabouts of all disappeared people.

He said that some ‘vested interests’ were trying to bring weapons from Israel, in an attempt to plunder the state coffer, even without informing the government. Prachanda said the ruling alliance was being trapped in conspiracies.

He also took the government to task for expressing ignorance over the reports of weapons consignment that is stuck in India.

Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat yesterday said the government had no idea about the arms consignment reportedly en route to Nepal from the Ukraine, which has been stopped in India. He said government was investigating as to how the weapons were brought to India. The Nepal government would send the weapons back if it was proved that they were on their way to Nepal.

Meanwhile, speaking at the same Maoist program, Maoist second-in-command Babu Ram Bhattrai said constituent assembly election was not possible without restructuring the Nepali Army.

He also warned that the Maoists would not hesitate from entering into the army barracks to find out the whereabouts of disappeared people if the government failed to do so.