Nepali Maoists to lay down arms and enter the government

All the major powers, including the US and neighbouring India, have praised the CPA as a means for stabilising the country following mass protests in Kathmandu in April against the autocratic rule of King Gyanendra. For its part, the Maoist leadership has seized the opportunity to join Nepal’s political establishment, explicitly declaring that it has no intention of trying to establish socialism.

Many Nepalese publicly celebrated the end of the country’s decade-long civil war as well as the absolute monarchy. However, the entry of the Maoists into the cabinet will do nothing to end the country’s deep economic and social crisis and is directed at suppressing any political opposition to the government and its policies. Far from opposing capitalist rule, the Maoists are propping it up.

After signing the agreement on November 21, Prime Minister G.P. Koirala boasted to the media that “a new era had begun” in Nepal. “Nepalis have sent a message to the international community and ... terrorists across the globe that a solution can be found through dialogue rather than through bullets.”

Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dhal, also known as Prachanda, described the deal as “the first great world experiment of the 21st century”. The agreement was a “victory for the Nepalis who have dreamt of creating a new Nepal and a defeat for the entire forces and principles of regression”.

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http://wsws.org/articles/2006/dec2006/nepa-d11.shtml