[From The Worker, #8, January 2003]

PRESS STATEMENT ON CURRENT SITUATION

It is well known that on this day the Nepalese society is passing through a tremendously serious and sensitive state of political transition. It is revealed to all that our Party, in the light of the achievements of 1990 still to be a meager and imperfect, has been representing the needs and aspirations of the masses of all the oppressed classes, nationalities, regions and genders for the onward political change, since the last seven years and have arrived at this challenging situation of the moment. In the present context of the onward political change being ingrained as a concrete historical necessity, none of the exercises of backtracking the society even from that of the achievements of the historical mass movement of 1990, will ever be tolerated by the country, the people and the history.

It is also necessary to grasp the fact that the post-1990 period governments of various parties, instead of appropriately recognizing the conscious uprising of the masses advancing by setting up unprecedented contribution, endurance and sacrifice in order to serve the best interest of the country and the people and taking up concrete steps of resolving them by preserving the nationality, democracy and people's livelihood through the positive political way out, were submerged in the deal of narrow group and self interest and escalating mass-murder, suppression and state terror, has given rise to such a situation in the country now.

With the spirit of wholehearted submission and responsibility to the country and the people, in the present international situation and specific geo-political condition of Nepal, our Party reckons it to be inevitable to heighten qualitatively the sovereign right and initiative of the masses to strengthen the national unity as well. For the same requirement with the stark objective of equipping the people with the further rights, we are keeping the door open for the talks and dialogues. The door for talks and dialogues for the positive and onward political way out is still open.

Recently in the context of backward step launched by king Gyanendra the vague tattle of dialogue has caused the situation confusing and embarrassing. We like the complete situation to be clear without any deception and conspiracy. In our view, there exist only two fundamental solutions to give way out to the country in this odd situation.

They are: first, working out onward political way out (in which the question of formation of a new constitution through the election of constitutional assembly will be prominent) collectively by the representatives of our Party, other political parties and intelligentsia and including the king and take concrete initiative to lead the country in the path of progressive development in peaceful way. King has to display necessary sacrifice for the interest of the country and the people, for this. Second, if the king clings on suppression by launching the royal army and foreign army instead of making the people sovereign in a real sense and provide opportunity to advance in the path of development by strengthening the national unity, the masses have no other option except advancing in the decisive and historic struggle. Right at this moment, it is also the responsibility of the king to take initiative to create atmosphere accordingly if he adopts the first choice and should make the situation clear without any deception if he chooses the second one.

We like to clarify that our party is prepared for both the options and feels that mass-struggle is inevitable for both. Hence, our Party makes cordial appeal to all the political parties, intellectual personalities and entire people to rise in the struggle without delay for both the options, in order to lead the country towards onward political way out.

October 24, 2002

Prachanda
Chairman, CPN (Maoist)

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