Prachanda resigns as PLA chief, no successor named

Nepal's Prime Minister designate Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on Saturday relinquished the post of the Supreme commander...

Nepal’s Prime Minister designate Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on Saturday relinquished the post of the Supreme commander of the People’s Liberation Army, or the Maoist combatants, but the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M) is yet to announce who the 31,000 odd PLA will be answerable to.

Prachanda’s resignation comes a day after he was elected Prime Minister by the Constituent Assembly securing 464 votes against Nepali Congress’s Sher Bahadur Deuba.

“A 24-member council of ministers will be formed the same day,” said Baburam Bhattarai, a prominent Maoist leader, who is likely to be the new Finance Minister. But there are still differences among the three ruling coalition partners, CPN(M), Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) and the Madheshi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) over, who will hold some of the key ministries. They are also not yet clear whether to create a post of the Deputy Prime Minister or not. The Maoists will, however, retain Defence, Finance, Physical Planning and Works besides Labour ministries.

Story continues below this ad

The Nepali Congress, which has decided to sit in the Opposition instead, had been insisting that Prachanda cannot be the commander of the National Army as well as the PLA.

Along with Prachanda, deputy commanders in the PLA, who were elected to the Constituent Assembly, also relinquished their military post. Prachanda also instructed his party colleagues and district level leaders to return all the lands and property confiscated from individuals and the Government.

It is believed that the Nepal Army sent a stern message that while it was the duty of the National Army to abide by a legally elected Government, it would not be sharing responsibility like providing security to the Prime Minister and other ministers along with the PLA.

High-level sources told The Sunday Express that the CPN(M) has agreed that the PLA would not be deployed for the security of the ministers as well as the Prime Minister’s office, residence and person. A strong contingent of 140 personnel of the Nepal Army led by a Colonel rank official will be deployed for the security of the Prime Minister’s residence.

Story continues below this ad

Maoists Ministers had retained PLA as their security guards and many of their vehicles are still registered under their own ‘administrative and Government system’, making it obvious that the party is still running a parallel Government. But Prachanda is yet to respond to the appeal from certain leaders of the civil society that he must publicly announce that his party would abjure politics of violence in practice and principle.