Tuesday, November 29, 2005

The 12 Point Agreement Succeeds The 4 Point Program




Audio Video
Logistics To Bring Down The Regime
Madhesi
Dinesh Wagle, 7 Leaders, 27 Questions
Roadmap
The Endgame
3 Scenarios
Gameplan

After the 12 point agreement became public, Moriarty went to meet Madhav Nepal in person. He wanted to know if the Maoists say one thing when talking to the parties and another when talking among themselves. That is a valid concern, and I am glad at least someone is asking such questions. What do I think? I don't think that is happening. It is not that the Maoists are hiding things. It is more that we have not been paying enough attention to all they have been saying. So even the misgivings I have now I get them from statements the two top Maoists have made recently and stand by them.

This 12 point agreement has to be seen as a milestone. This agreement succeeds the 4 point program of the seven parties. But this is not the final agreement. A lot of homework remains doing. (Phone Talk With Madhav Nepal, Hridayesh Tripathy)

Too many people though do not realize how historic this agreement really is. For the Maoists to take a leap from the goal of a communist republic to that of a democratic republic is huge. As early as this year, Baburam Bhattarai ran afoul of his party's leadership when he suggested the party shoud perhaps move towards the goal of a democratic republic. He was sent into "protective custody" for "purification." I think it is remarkable that the Maoists have healed that rift in such a creative way and come forth to where they are today.

Baburam: Prachanda's Best Bet, Litmust Test, And Only Option
To: Prachanda, Baburam, Mahara, Badal And The Rest Of The Maoist Leadership

There is a major difference between an armed group fighting for a democratic republic, and one fighting for a communist republic. There is a huge difference. But then the Maoists have also taken anothe huge leap. They are willing to disarm.

Like it or dislike it, but there is no denying this 12 point agreement is of a huge historic importance. All those who made it possible have to be commended. They have done some very difficult work in some very difficult circumstances.

Another key point is that this is still very much work in progress. This is the first step. There will be several more steps. You have to take into account the backdrop.
  1. The Nepali Congress was for a constituent assembly five decades back. But that was then. This past decade it has been opposed to the idea. Or the insurgency might have seen a positive outlet back in 1999, perhaps.
  2. The seven parties formally came openly for a constituent assembly only after 2/1. The Nepali Congress did not ditch its House revival stance, but it expanded its agenda by accepting the idea of a constituent assembly.
  3. For the first half of this year, the Nepali Congress and the UML were not even willing to touch the Maoists with a barge pole. There was this huge mistrust. Now they are talking.
  4. The UML is officially for a democratic republic. The Nepali Congress is no longer tied to the idea of a constitutional monarchy.
The key point is that progress is being made. You have to commend the progress made so far. That helps. That makes it possible for more progress to be made.

Just like the 4 point program became a 12 point agreement. Now that 12 point agreement perhaps has to be turend into a 10 point agreement. The best thing that could happen is if the Monarchists were to join the conversation. But right now I am not counting on that. The pressure has to be built for that to happen. And if enough pressure is built, there can be a positive resolution even if the king does not budge. (Pyramid Of 10 In Kathmandu)

In the next round of talks, I think the seven parties and the Maoists should both seek to compromise some more. The parties should let go the House revival stand. The Maoists should agree to integrate the two armies before the constituent assembly elections not after.

If the two forces were to take that additional step, then it becomes less important as to what the king does or not.

Prachanda Audio Interview, A First
Baburam Bhattarai Interview
Prachanda Statement

Prachanda:
What we have been saying is after the constituent assembly election results are out, according to those results, the two armies should be integrated, and one unified army has to take shape.

Human society develops through such revolts. Hundreds of thousands have been sacrificed in other circumstances. This can not be measured emotionally, it has to be measured scientifically, factually.

Baburam: The 12 point agreement is a high point of the last 50 years of the democracy struggle in Nepal.

This agreement is a beginning. A greater understanding will be furthered through dialogue down the line.

As far as the House revival stance is concerned, that is from so far back it time, a revived House will create problems more than offer solutions. There are no legal and constitutional options, there only are political and revolutionary solutions left. If the seven parties are honest about going to a constitutional assembly, there are no legal ways to get there. We should instead be looking at an interim constitution and an interim government.

We are committed to accepting the verdict of the constituent assembly.

A People's War is a people's way of getting its rights. If such a war will stay relevant or not depends on how successful the people will be in achieving the rights. After all rights are achieved, the war comes to a halt. It can take shape again down the line in another form if the need might arise. That is the Marxist-Leninist-Maoist line and we are committed to it.

We are committed to a democratic republic framework after the demise of the feudal monarchy and its mercenary army.

Our party has never talked of a one party dictatorship.

The Maoist People's Liberation Army has to be accepted as the legitimate army of the state.

Our attempt is to have a joint revolution.

We are not going to compromise on anything less than a democratic republic.

We launched the revolution with one rifle 10 years back. Today we have seven divisions.

Where we differ with the parties is that we think there will be state repression on peaceful protestors, and when that happens we would want them to pick up arms. Let that be absolutely clear.

This is no longer the time to be talking to the king. Now is the time for a decisive struggle.

There never has been any "peaceful transformation" in world history and there never will be. The old has to be destroyed, the new has to be created. Use of force becomes necessary. This is true for both the physical and the social worlds. The quantitative transformation is peaceful, but the qualitative transformation is always violent. Our cadres are capable of both.
Our party unity has attained new heights.

The 12 point agreement is along the lines of our 40 point demand from 1996.

12 Point Agreement: The agitating seven political parties are fully committed to the plan to reinstate parliament whose decision will lead to the formation of an all-party government, hold talks with the Maoists and go for an election to a constituent assembly...... The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has made the commitment to organise a national political convention of democratic forces. The meet should decide on the formation of an interim government and hold elections for a constituent assembly to achieve the agreed goal.


There has been an understanding on keeping the Maoists’ armed forces and the Royal Nepali Army under the supervision of the United Nations during the elections of the constituent assembly, conduct elections in free and fair manner, and accept the results of the elections—all these after an end of the autocratic monarchy.

Prachanda in 2000: From a practical point of view, the People's War in Nepal is contributing to making and accelerating this new wave of revolution. And it is contributing to the organization of the international communist movement on a Maoist basis. And Maoism should be the commander of this new wave of world revolution. The People's War in Peru has done a good job of establishing Maoism. We also think that the RCP,USA has done a good job, ideologically and politically, to fight against revisionism and establish Maoism. And our party and the People's War in Nepal is also accelerating this process. (RW ONLINE:Red Flag Flying on the Roof of the World)

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