Present coalition will continue even after elections, no formation of socialist center: Chairman Prachanda

By TRN Online, Kathmandu, July 29: CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has ruled out the possibility of the formation of the Socialist Center cobbling different leftist parties before the upcoming elections and affirmed that the present coalition of the ruling parties will go even beyond the elections.

The Maoist Center Chairman said so while inaugurating the second full meeting of the central committee of the Press Center Nepal, an organisation of the journalists close to the party.

Chairman Prachanda, also the former Prime Minister, ruled out the possibility of the formation of a socialist center of different leftist parties including the Maoist Center dismissing the reports on the issue as rumour. He, however, hinted at the possibility of the election alliance among the leftist parties in the ruling coalition.

He noted it with pleasure that the government had sent a letter to the US about Nepal not involving in the State Partnership Programme (SPP) as per the decision of the Cabinet.

The Maoist Center Chairman reiterated his commitment to press freedom and said, "We lobbied for press freedom even during the writing of the Constitution through the Constituent Assembly. And now we all know that the more we are transparent with the press, the greater aware the press becomes and our struggle against regressive forces also gains strength by means of a free press."

Saying that the Maoist Center was the harbinger of the present political setup characterized by a federal democratic republic, rights to the oppressed class, gender, and communities such as women, Dalit and indigenous nationalities, he argued that the Maoist Center was the mainstream of present polity.

"Those who accepted reluctantly the kind of political system we have today because of the pressure of the political movement we raised are now claiming that they brought about the changes," he said.

The former Prime Minister said that the initiation of some infrastructure development such as mid-hill highway and north-south corridors were taken during his premiership in 2008 and that they have started to bear fruits now. "It shows we have been pro-development as well."