Differences emerge in Nepal over parliamentary system

Kathmandu, Sep 14 (UNI) Chief of the party affairs of the Maoists Mohan Baidya has contradicted Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's statement that the party is committed to multi party democracy and freedom of the press.

There are reports of differences in the Maoists party in the recent days as one group led by senior Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai favours the parliamentary system while Baidya group wants to establish Communist style peoples democracy.

Mr Baidya has said the Maoist Party, which is leading the present government, does not believe in the parliamentary system and is determined to establish a people's democracy (janabad) through a 'new people's revolution.' ''We believe that the parliamentary system has failed everywhere in the world. So we have to find an alternative to it in Nepal,'' Kantipur quoted him as saying while speaking to mediapersons here yesterday.

Mr Baidya, who is known as hardliner in the Maoists and a rival of Dr Bhattarai, the current Finance Minister, was given the responsibility of the Maoists' party affairs after 'Prachanda' became the Prime Minister.

Since the parliamentary system could not work in favour of the people earlier, the new constitution cannot take it up, he said shocking many in his own party and the opposition parties.

Maoists party came to the mainstream politics giving up the revolutionary line and became the largest party in the April election.

The statement of the senior leader of the Maoist party has come before Mr Dahal's India visit.

In reply to a question about Mr Dahal's India visit, he said that the visit should prove to be a milestone in favour of ''nationality.'' UNI XC PD NS1410