PEACE TANTALIZINGLY CLOSE CLAIMS OM BHATTARAI

INTERVIEW

PEACE TANTALIZINGLY CLOSE SAYS PM BAHATTARAI

Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai faced a strong backlash from the hard-line faction of his party, UCPN (Maoist), for signing the Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (BIPPA) with India, and the deal is to be debated at the party´s forthcoming Central Committee meeting. Similarly, the peace and constitution drafting process has apparently not made headway since he assumed office two months back. Against this backdrop, Bhattarai talked to Republica´s Post B Basnet on Saturday evening. Excerpts:

You faced a strong backlash from your own party for signing the Bilateral Investment and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) during your visit to India. How do you view it now?

BIPPA was in the interest of the country and that´s the reason why I found it necessary to sign it. I am fully convinced that what I did was correct. History will evaluate it tomorrow. More than 2,500 BIPPAs have been signed by 180 countries. The format of the BIPPA is the same. It is unfortunate that some people spoke against BIPPA without understanding what it is. But people are gradually becoming familiar with the deal and public opinion is turning in its favor. So I am now satisfied.

But the party is yet to make its official view on the deal public.

That is not true. The party is in favor of BIPPA; I struck the deal as per the party´s mandate. There is no point in signing the deal without the consent of the party. We had endorsed it through the cabinet and that is proof that we had the consent of the party for signing the deal. It is one thing that some colleagues object to the agreement, but the party´s official view was in favor of BIPPA. The widespread public support shows that the deal is in the interest of the country.

How do you view your two months as prime minister, and how do you think the peace process will move ahead as the CA deadline is coming closer by the day?

The major responsibility of the current government is completion of peace and constitution. I did what I could to fulfill my responsibility, but there are other things which could be done only with the agreement of the major political parties. So, the process of consensus building has taken some time. Similarly the festivals of Dashain and Tihar diverted the attention of the parties. Nonetheless, the homework for completion of the peace process is moving in a positive direction. And I feel assured that this would lead to a positive conclusion soon.


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There were hectic negations overnight among the major parties just before your departure for India, but there was no consensus. What were the points of disagreement?

There were a couple of things on the negotiating table: integration and rehabilitation of combatants; constitution drafting; and formation of various commissions including a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). We held hectic negotiations on all the issues. And it was the first time in the last five years that we were so close to a deal. We are close to consensus on most of the contentious issues, but some technical things about integration and rehabilitation of combatants including the numbers to be integrated and the rehabilitation packages are yet to be settled. Once we reach the deal, the peace process will make a leap to its logical conclusion.

How much time do you need to strike a deal?

It is difficult to fix a deadline. We should garner consensus first and then sign the deal. But it is my belief that things will move in a positive direction very soon.

How positive have you found the roles of the NC and UML in the peace process negotiations?

The NC and UML are far more positive than at previous times. I have found them the most positive now in the five-year history of the peace process.

There is widespread speculation that the radical faction of your party will formally split once you sign the peace deal. What do you have to say?

No, the party will not splinter; it will remain united. There are disputes and debates in the party and we should not take that otherwise. There are a few things that have gone off track and have violated the party´s norms and procedures, and this has created a difficult situation. But we have construed this as the outcome of a very special phase of history. I feel assured that we will move ahead united, but there is no one who can guarantee that the party will remain intact forever. If a few people become dissatisfied, they may split. But it is a thing of the future.

But the radical faction of your party states that the current track taken by the party is wrong, and they have threatened to split the party.

They have the right to say so. Yes, they have been arguing that the party´s course since the Chunwang meeting is wrong. And we have been maintaining that the party´s course since Chunwang is correct. History will decide who is correct and who is wrong. It is the party´s norm to accept the decision of the majority even while putting forward your dissenting views. And that´s the way things will move ahead.

What could be the scenario at the forthcoming Central Committee in view of the widening factional rift in the party?

The last Central Committee has already mandated us on the line of government, peace and constitution and we are moving ahead in that very direction. But there could be debate and revisions of the previous decisions. But I am sure the forthcoming Central Committee will uphold the current line of peace and constitution and not take a fundamentally different path.

But the leaders of the hard-line faction say that the "revolutionary party line would not be dragged away by the reformist line", and they have said they would not be limited to writing notes of dissent alone. They are also slandering the leaders of the party establishment.

It is one thing to say such something, but they will not happen in reality. The disputes are largely limited to the ideological and political line. But there are a few incidents in which leaders have gone beyond the limit. Such incidents would be reviewed.
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