by Purushottam Poudel in The Kathmandu Post, Feb 5, 2023
The CPN (Unified Socialist) party in its political document has criticised the country’s communist forces while also being critical of the international democratic forces. The document sympathises with the northern neighbour, China, and its flagship project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The document, which was presented to the party’s central committee on Saturday, criticised forums that are supported by democratic countries.
A section of UML leaders split the party to form the Unified Socialist under the leadership of former UML chief and former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal in 2021.
In the subtitle ‘Present International Circumstances’, the document lambasts the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS); a trilateral security pact among Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America (AUKUS); an informal strategic forum, known as QUAD, comprising four countries United States of America, Australia, Japan and India; and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The party, in its document, claimed that such forums were formed with the objective to contain the economic and strategic development of China.
When Russia attacked Ukraine last February, the Nepal government, in which the Unified Socialist was a ruling partner, condemned the decision to attack a sovereign country. However, the party’s political document seems soft towards Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the time had issued a statement which reads, “Nepal opposes any use of force against a sovereign country under any circumstances and believes in a peaceful resolution of disputes through diplomacy and dialogue.”
At the United Nations General Assembly on October 12 last year, Nepal had voted in favour of a resolution condemning Russia’s attempted annexation of four Ukrainian areas by conducting a referendum within Ukraine. However, Nepal abstained from the vote to suspend Russia from the Human Right Council of the UN on April 7, 2022.
“The Ukraine war is at a serious juncture. Western countries are trying to diminish the area of influence and strength of Russia,” reads the political document. “Some of the countries exponentially increased their presence in the war. In order to continue the war, they are sending modern technological weapons.”
The political document further reads, “As some of the NATO countries tend to be directly involved in the war, it might be more devastating.”
The document condemns Western countries for the Russia-Ukraine war while remaining silent about Russia’s action. In one year of aggression, the Russia-Ukraine war has claimed the lives of thousands of people.
Beduram Bhusal, general secretary of the party, however claimed that his party in its political document didn’t show any biases to any forces and that it just presented the current reality as it is.
“The political document of our party has not been soft to anyone while criticising others,”, told the Post. “We have only described the current political happenings in the world.”
The Unified Socialist document defines the characteristics of 11 national political parties that are represented in Parliament. It puts all parties under a harsh critical lens while it seems to have a soft spot for the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP).
The document said Nepali Congress is “a party with a capitalist character that favours neo-liberalism and also favours crony capitalism. However, Congress has a commitment to the protection of the constitution and democracy.”
Unified Socialist was more critical towards two other communist parties CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre). It labelled the UML as a communist party of right-wing opportunistic character. “The party [UML] leadership is rapidly becoming right-wing due to its alliance with the bourgeoisie,” the document reads. “The party is not committed to the constitution and democracy.”
It also said the CPN (Maoist Centre), the third-largest party in the House of Representatives, is a communist party with ‘a pendulum character’. Its stance on class is also unclear, the document said. “When the peace process is prolonged, this party, which came to the peace process after the armed conflict, has run after power,” the document further read. “This party is dedicated to the constitution and democracy, but it has an unstable and pendulum tendency of becoming ready to do anything at any given time to attain power.”
According to political analyst Jhalak Subedi, the political document of Unified Socialist reflects the anger of the party leadership. “The document expresses resentment against the Maoist Centre leadership for not informing them when they formed the government with the UML,” Subedi told the Post.
As the Unified Socialist couldn’t perform well in the November elections, failing to even secure the status of a national political party, it is trying to merge with other political forces. A section of the party reportedly wants to merge it with the mother party, UML. However, given the bad blood between the leaders from the two sides, the reunification of the two parties appears challenging.
At present, the Unified Socialist is closer to Maoist Centre, JSP and some other fringe parties. It has formed a dialogue team to negotiate for collaboration or unification with like-minded forces. The dialogue team is holding talks with the JSP.
As the party considers collaboration or party unity with like-minded forces, the political document shows two approaches towards the two political parties with whom the party is considering a possible merger with or forming an alliance.
Hari Roka, an analyst of leftist politics, said the Unified Socialist’s political document has only criticised the parties, mainly those involved in the ruling alliance, and that will have no impact if the Maoist Centre and Unified Socialist decide to unify or collaborate in the near future.
“If the parties go in for unification or collaboration, it would be based on political and economic principles. The political document will have nothing to do with it,” Roka told the Post. “Accusing other political parties in a political document is a compulsion, and the other parties understand it.”
Unified Socialist, itself a new party, terms another new political outfit, Rastriya Swatantra Party, a ‘product of populism’ and a ‘bourgeoisie organisation’.
“The party’s [RSP’s] philosophy, principles, ideas, and direction are all unclear. It is also unclear as to how it views republicanism and federalism,” the document reads. “This party emerged as a result of political confusion and social despair caused by the dissolution of the House of Representatives and the division of the Nepal Communist Party. Cheap popularity creates confusion in the general public and always serves the reactionary forces. This party plays the same role.”
The CPN (Unified Socialist) document defines the right-wing Rastriya Prajatantra Party as a party of the remnants of the feudals and capitalists, representing a ‘feudalistic, backward mindset’.
“It is a party that opposes the constitution, the republic, and federalism,” reads the document. “It seeks to reinstate the feudal monarchy that was overthrown by the people’s revolution.” https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2023/02/05/unified-socialist-s-political-document-slams-domestic-communist-parties-but-is-soft-towards-china
