Interview with CP Gajurel - International Bureau CPN Maoist from Red Star

CP Gajurel, In-charge, International Bureau, Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist

What are the major problems that CPN-Maoist has to face in the national and international context after the landslide victory in the election constituent Assembly?

After the completion and result coming out of the election of the Constituent Assembly (CA), our party has been victorious and has become established as the single largest party in the CA, That is a victory not only for the people of Nepal but also it has to be considered as the victory for the oppressed people of the world. But it is not the final victory and it doesn't mean that we don't have any more challenges. We still have big challenges. In spite of our victory, the other parties are not ready to hand over power to our party and there is still a debate going on regarding who will be the Prime Minister and who will be the President.

Also, a debate is on how the major posts should be divided among major three parties.
Secondly, some powers didn't want the Maoist to be the single largest party; they didn't want the Maoist to become victorious on the election. They are still trying to create hurdles, firstly to the formation of a government, and secondly, if the government is formed, they will try to create problems so that the Maoist government cannot run smoothly.

Because of the scarcity of things, goods and materials, there will be discontent among the masses and the Maoist will not be able to run the government well. These are challenges before us. But, as we are have the support of millions and millions, we have the support of the masses of Nepal and of billions of people around the world. We are confident that we will be able to meet the challenges.

The victory of CPN-M in the election of CA is the victory of the Proletarian class. In history, the Bolsheviks under the leadership of Comrade Lenin held a CA election, but were defeated. Here in Nepal, the CPN-M has been victorious. What message does it convey to the international community?

Yes, during the time of Russian Revolution, it happened during CA election. Because the Menshevik and Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs) were strong at all levels, together they were able to get a majority of seats. The Bolsheviks had to be satisfied with minority seats.

After this situation, Lenin decided to continue the revolution and dismantled the CA. Because the rightists and opportunists were really the agents of the capitalist class, they didn't allow the Proletariat to form a new constitution; there was a deep risk to the Bolshevik party, a risk that revolution would have been smashed.

But now the situation is quite different. We were able to win in over half in the first past the post election system. We were not able to get the majority in the proportional election but our party has become the single largest party. None of the other parties could achieve this percentage of votes. It is because the reactionaries, rightist parties and the revisionist parties have no confidence in the masses and the masses do not trust these parties. Our party, during the decade long People's War and the 19 day People's Movement played a major role; because of our experience in the past in forming a new government in the countryside, the masses had hope only in the CPN-Maoist. So they voted for us to write a new constitution.

There are so many problems before the future government, and people feel very hopeful toward the CPN-M, What agendas will be prioritised in the new constitution to address the aspiration and needs of the people?

The major questions to be addressed in the new constitution has been already laid down in our commitment paper. Most importantly, the demand of the Revolution and of the Nepalese people is to overthrow the monarchy and establish a Federal Democratic Republic (FDR). Definitely, we will have a good position in the Assembly and our party will be able to win over other forces. We are in favour of writing the new constitution in a specific form of FDR.

Also, there are some basic questions that have to be solved. The question of livelihood and overall development of the society is very important because there is severe poverty in the society. We have to meet the necessity and basic requirements of the masses. Immediately, we have to fulfil all these necessary basic requirements. Definitely, there are unequal treaties that had been signed during the past and we have to review them. Some of them have to be renegotiated; we have to review all those treaties. The treaties should be signed on an equal basis. There are some problems of how to manage the New Democratic Republic. Because the bourgeois will definitely try to sabotage this process; the class that has been defeated will try to return to power. They will create problems whenever they can, they will find some excuses for that, there is the atmosphere to create problems.

On the basis of priority, we have to address all these questions. For example, first of all, politically, it is necessary to overthrow the monarchy and establish a Federal Democratic People's Republic in our sense. And, secondly, we have to resolve the basic economic problems of the society and we have to overcome the poverty of the people. It is necessary to fulfil the basic requirements of the masses.

In the developed new situation CPN-M has to make diplomatic relationship with other countries. What will be the basic principle for deplomatic relationship?

The basic principles will be the five principles of co-existence. That is the basis of state to state international relation. Another fundamental aspect of it is we have to develop the relationship with other states or governments, with the national interest of Nepal as its first priority. Definitely, we should have to develop the relation with all the country. The basis will be in the largest interest of the Nepalese people and the nation.

These two things, as has been explained by the United Nations Organization, the basic five principles of co-existence and the largest interest of Nepalese people and our Nation are the fundamental criteria of the diplomatic relationship.

CPN-M is going to the government. How will you handle the controversial relationship between state to state relationship and party relationship among Communist parties and organizations of the world?

Definitely, when we will be in the government, we will have to handle these two types of relationship. Because we are Communists and our party is a Communist party; we have as our goal the transition from socialism to communism. We have not given up our goal. We are moving in that direction. We are Internationalists because we are Communists. So the relation with other Communist parties will be developed on the basis of Proletarian internationalism. And, without interfering in the affairs of any Communist Party, our relationship will develop on the basis of proletarian internationalism.

So far as state to state relationship is concerned, on the basis of five principles of peaceful co-existence, the relation will develop between state to state. To carry on both the relationship will not be a big problem because we have learnt so many lessons from the Communist parties that were previously in power. For example, the Bolshevik party was in the power The Chinese Communist Party was in power and they maintained their relationship with different states and also the relation with other communist parties. We shall not compromise or negotiate our ideology and politics- in the name of being in government; we will never negotiate our fundamental principles, our ideology and politics.