Nepal Elections: Maoists spring a surprise, take initial lead

[David__77]

The Maoists were today found to be faring well initially in the CA polls as the counting of votes started across the nation.

Nobody, even the media and intelligentsia, had expected that the Maoists, who entered the peace process just two years ago after a decade-old armed insurgency, could do so well across the country, including the Kathmandu Valley. The Maoist candidates were leading in Constituency No-2 and 3 of Lalitpur district and Constituency No-2, 9 and 10 of Kathmandu district till this report was filed.

But senior Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai said it was only “natural,” and not surprising as described by other parties, mainstream media and the international community. “The agenda of constituent assembly, republic and federal structure of governance all are our agenda,” Dr Bhattarai, who is leading in Gorkha-2, said, responding to the initial results of election across the country.

...

Reacting to the “unexpected” election results across the country, Shankar Pokharel, a UML central leader, said the people must have voted for the Maoists to keep them in the peace process. “Another reason could be that the people must have looked for a change,” he said.

...

“The mindset of the young generation has been reflected through the voting and this generation appears to have trusted the Maoists after they entered the peace process,” Prof Khanal said.

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullstory.asp?filename=aFanata0sa3qzpca2Sa9qa.axamal&folder=aHaoamW&Name=Home&dtSiteDate=20080412

[Orwellian_Ghost]

1. Interesting

K&R

[High Plains]

2. Maoism is alive and well in the Indian subontinent.

They control swathes of territory in east and central India.