The Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists that had spearheaded a bloody insurgency wave in the Himalayan kingdom for over a decade, has virtually swept the elections in the country.
While Nepal Maoist supremo, Prachanda, or Puhpa Kamal Dahal, has won from Kathmandu constituency-10, his party moved ahead of its rivals in the constituent assembly polls to shape the future political system for the country.
Out of 43 results declared, the Maoist candidates have been victorious in 27 constituencies whereas the ruling Nepali Congress has won seven seats, CPN-UML six seats, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party two seats, and the Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum has one seat so far. The Maoists are leading in at least 48 other constituencies.
Prachanda, who had started Maoist insurgency from Rolpa and Rukum, the hinterlands in mid-western Nepal, in 1996 with the ideology of Chinese Communist leader Mao Tse-Tung that “power comes through bullet”, established himself as popular leader among the people of Nepal today. Prachanda, who had contested the election from Kathmandu constituency-1 and Rolpa-2, got a landslide victory by defeating his nearest rival Rajan Kumar KC of the Nepali Congress from
Kathmandu.
He got 22,000 votes from urban people in Kathmandu almost double than his rival KC. He has been leading in Rolpa-2 as well.
Along with Prachanda, another Maoist leader and minister in Prime Minister G P Koirala government Hisila Yami emerged victorious with 9,273 votes from Kathmandu constituency-7. The Maoists, who are still named as a terrorist organisation by the United States, have been predicting victory for their party.
Besides this, the Maoists candidates swept all constituencies sharing five seats with Nepali Congress in Kathmandu Valley that used to be a UML stronghold.
The Terai-based Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF), which had fielded 105 candidates, clinched one seat, while the Nepal Workers and Peasant Party, a regional formation, secured two seats in Bhaktapur district, near the capital.
Meanwhile, thousands of women, children and Maoist party workers gathered at main road in the capital to celebrate the victory of
Prachanda.
Expressing firm commitment toward lasting peace and stability, Prachanda said that his party wanted to continue the coalition government by keeping the seven-party alliance intact in future regardless of whichever party garners victory in the constituent assembly elections.
Speaking at his victory rally in Kathmandu, Prachanda said his party
would honor the people’s mandate. “We are fully committed to establishing a federal democratic republic and restoring permanent peace in the country.” He also claimed that the victory achieved by his party was people’s mandate to build a New Nepal. Expressing commitment to strengthen relationship with neighbouring countries and and international community, former rebel leader said, “We will do our best to maintain cordial relations with neighbouring countries and also the international community in order to obtain their support for Nepal’s development and peace.”
