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Home > English > Website archives > Rainbow of Crisis > «Let us Unite» ...

NEPAL

«Let us Unite» ...

Message to the Nepalese People by Prachanda, Leader of CPN(M) and Elected Prime Minister

Thursday 11 September 2008, by Pierre BEAUDET

1) I feel very proud to address all of you as the first elected Prime Minister of the Republic of Nepal. I would like to express my sentimental homage and the highest respect to all of the honourable martyrs, disappeared, and the wounded soldiers of the great People’s War (PW), the People’s Movement and Madhesh Movement, whose immortal contributions helped to establish the Federal Democratic Republic (FDR) in this country. This has liberated the country from external semi-colonial and neo-colonial repression and internal feudalist-monarchist exploitation and repression. I vow to advance on the way of incessant revolution and struggle until the dream of the martyrs is implemented. Along with it, I express my deep grief in the loss of life and property due to the flood and violent natural outbreak, and I want to convey my heartfelt condolence to the people affected.

2). Today, Nepalese history has turned on its side. Because of the consequences of the armed and peaceful struggle of the Nepalese people for fifty years, the middle age feudalist monarchy has ended and a Republic has been established in the country in an original way. Epoch making decisions have been taken to restructure the nation into a Federal structure, by ending the unitary structure of the state. All the repressed classes, castes, regions, genders and communities have the right to proportionate and inclusive partnership in all the sectors of the state and the society. In the history of Nepal, the Nepalese people have elected a new ideology and a new leadership through the election of the Constituent Assembly (CA), held a while ago.

Before this, a new model of conflict management and revolutionary transformation was established after the successful implementation of Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA), held between CPN-Maoist that led the decade long People’s War (PW), with the agendas of nationality, republic and socio-economic transformation, and the previous Nepal government. All the independent and self-respecting Nepalese people should take pride in this. It is necessary to take part with serious concern from all our sectors to concretize the aspirations of the Nepalese people, for a long-term peace with progressive change

On this historical occasion, I wish to promise publicly that we will responsibly play our role for peace, justice and change because of the responsibility of the very political force that sacrificed ten thousand dedicated warriors for epoch making political, social, economic, and cultural change in the country. For the progress of Nepalese society, we have to build a new way through the fusion of break-through in continuation and continuation with the break-through.

I would like to express hope and confidence that we will be able to manage the conflict between the status quo and the progressives in a new form, with originality to maintain alteration and long-standing peace in the coming days. I want to attract the attention of all towards the fact that the long-term solution of the conflict is possible only after leading the nation to the summit of prosperity and equality harmonious to the 21st century, by abolishing the class, caste, regional, gender discrimination and exploitation and repression that has prevailed for a long time.

3). Certainly, the expectations of the people are very high for the first elected Republican government. We must make our best effort to fulfil all of these expectations objectively in a planned way. In this context, I would like to mention some national priorities from the responsibility as the chief of the government:

Firstly, we should give great importance to Nepalese sovereignty, national unity, independence, and the protection and promotion of territorial integrity. There can be no Nepalese people if Nepal does not exist and the appropriateness of the republic will be over. We cannot keep our national unity if we cannot make the Nepalese people sovereign, equal and prosperous, who are divided into different classes, castes, regions, genders and communities.

In this sense, nationality and republic are closely inter-related and inseparable; therefore, we will emphasise the protection of sovereignty and independence of the country by maintaining a balance between the two. Along with it, we will follow the policy of protecting the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity by maintaining a new unity among the castes and nationalities of Himal, Pahad, Terai and Madhesh, on the basis of full equality. Likewise, we will make our best effort to maintain a relationship with all the neighbouring countries based on the five principles.

Secondly, there will be full commitment towards democratic norms and values and principles suitable to the modern age. The democratic system and the norms of multi party competition, periodic elections, human rights, the rule of law etc. will be followed. Any kind of interventions that are against the democratic norms and values will be discouraged. Along with this, priority will be given to expand the democracy into a democracy for the majority of the working people, against the tendency to restrict it to a formal democracy for a handful of wealthy and cunning men.

Likewise, as “consciousness is the value of independence”; procedures to ensure the incessant supervision, participation and intervention of the masses of the people and civil society in the every sector of the state and society will be created to make democracy and independence more comprehensive and long lasting. Special attention will be given to the rights of the people; to the voiceless and the poor people in every nook and corner of the remote villages.

Thirdly, the priority of the state will be to make the country prosperous, economically and socially, in a short time by ending poverty, unemployment, inequality, and dependence that has long prevailed in the nation. This idea will be implemented strongly to maintain long-term peace, only after advancing the political and economic revolution together. First of all, principal emphasis will be given to abolish all the remnants of the feudalism in economic, social and cultural fields and to build a modern industrial economy. For that, attention will be given to create the necessary policies and implementing them. In economic development, the co coordinating role of state cooperation with the private sector, and the model of public-private partnership will be followed as the main policy.

Foreign investment suitable to the national priorities will be encouraged and protected. The short period, mid period and long period plans will be made and implemented by prioritising the development of agriculture, tourism, water resources and infrastructure development. Special attention will be given to end unemployment and to provide the everyday needs everywhere at an appropriate cost. Emphasis will be given to develop harmonious relationships between workers and the management and to keep industrial peace.

Law will be created to maintain the fundamental rights of the people in education, health and employment. Attention will be given in providing relief to the people, the helpless, and the old and disabled people in difficult and backward regions. Effective steps will be taken as soon as possible to eradicate the cancer of the corruption that is spread in every sector of the state, the economy and the society. In total, the main emphasis will be to make and implement the policy and plans to give direct relief to the majority of the people so they can feel the changes. In this way, the priority for the new government will be the agendas of nationality, republic, and socio-economic transformation.

4) The principle task of the new government will be to carry the peace process to a logical end and to write a new progressive and People’s constitution in a fixed time. In this context, I want to express my commitment that the new government will accomplish these two tasks, surveying with the eyesight of Arjun.

However, these tasks are not without challenges. There are large possibilities with us, and a big mountain of challenges against us. For this, the help and support of all the patriots, republicans and progressive political forces, army, police, administrations including officers from different sectors, international institutions and the mass communities is most necessary. At last, the people and only the people are the creators of the history and nothing is impossible on earth if we get support and assistance from the people. Therefore, I heartily request all to support and assist in the great campaign of building a new Nepal in anyway.

Firstly, it is not possible to build a new Nepal just by the effort of any party, institution, or individual. National consensus is necessary. The government has its full commitment in the implementation of all the agreements and understandings made with the previous government, with various political parties and institutions. I, on this special historic occasion, request that all the main political parties rise up above the narrow party interests and promote the national interest and together with the government, help to build a new Nepal.

Likewise, I appeal to the main international power centres and mainly the neighbouring countries to help and give support to Nepal morally and physically in this transitional period.

I specially appeal to the officers and the members of Nepal army, armed police force, Nepal police and National Investigation Department to forget the bitterness of the past and go ahead by making a new national unity. I want to ensure from my side that I will create the fresh environment without bias, to advance in a new way.

I request all the bureaucrats from the governmental and non-governmental institutions to support with heart and mind the government without any bias and jealousy.

I request all the industries, the traders, merchants and the professionals to support the government fully because the new government ensures to build a favourable environment for a long-term peace and investment. I specially appeal to all the journalists, civil agitators and the mass people’s communities to support and help the new government from their own side, to the campaign to build a prosperous Nepal along with a new republican era. I want to ensure that the warriors of the People’s Liberation army, the families of the great martyrs of the People’s War, the families of the disappeared and wounded and the disabled receive economic help and relief by the new government as soon as possible, and I, at the same time, expect help and support as before. At last, I would like to pay my gratitude for the mandate given by the people through the election of the Constituent Assembly and support and help from the Constituent Assembly. I would like to repeat the commitment to accomplish the responsibility given by the Nepalese people.