of promulgation of a new constitution through consensus among the major stakeholders of the peace process were slim.

In the first Central Committee meeting of the party held after the formation of the Questionnaire Committee in the Constituent Assembly, the opposition party leader said a “massive street movement” could “rekindle hope” for a “progressive” constitution from the CA.

Dahal believes that street agitation can force the ruling parties to come to the terms of compromise. Without pressure from the street, Dahal said it would be impossible to incorporate the agendas raised by the party in the new constitution.

According to Maoist leader Devendra Poudel, Dahal said the party’s first priority is street movement as the ruling parties were firm to move ahead on the basis of their numerical strength in the CA. He told the party leaders that CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli wants to keep the Maoist party outside the CA so they should remain there till the last minute.

“Despite the struggle in the CA, the ruling parties are moving ahead bypassing us in the historic task of constitution drafting,” Dahal told the central leaders. After the formation of the Questionnaire Committee on Sunday, the Maoist-led alliance has announced to boycott the majority process until the parties arrive at consensus.

The alliance has also decided not to hold talks with the ruling parties without assurance that the constitution drafting process would be completed in consensus. Dahal, however, is in touch with Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on the phone.

“The dignity and value of the CA has diminished after the ruling parties forced the questionnaire panel,” Poudel quoted Dahal as telling the meeting. Dahal added that the achievements of the latest political movements are at risk and the party should safeguard them.

“The nine-point joint proposal of the ruling parties and the Questionnaire Committee were steps taken to exclude us from constitution-drafting,” Dahal said.

In the meeting, chiefs of the party’s state committees briefed the leadership about the ground reality. They informed that though the party’s core cadres are ready for street movement, they are yet to stimulate the public to join their movement.

They said that the cadres were confused about the party ideology and were looking for a clear path ahead. The chiefs also asked the leaders to revamp the party structure. Maoist leaders said the meeting will announce street protests and direct the party rank and file to make preparations for a movement.

Struggle must to free CA: BRB

Senior UCPN (Maoist) leader Baburam Bhattarai said on Thursday the Constituent Assembly had been controlled by “regressive forces” and that there is the need for struggle to ensure a “progressive” constitution.

Bhattarai, who chairs the Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee of the Assembly, said he was still committed to bringing a new constitution through the CA. Receiving a memo from Reporters’ Club in the Capital that pressed the parties for timely statute, Bhattarai said that with the formation of the Questionnaire Committee on January 25, “regressive forces had arrested the CA”.

Dubbing the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML as status-quoists, Bhattarai said politics would take a new turn if the agitating bloc led by his party failed to “rescue the CA from their control”. On the party’s decision to boycott the parliamentary committees, Bhattarai said it was a short-term strategy.