KATMANDU, Nepal — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has picked up an unusual endorsement in her bid for the presidency — the leader of Nepal’s Maoist party and most likely Nepal’s first democratically elected head of state.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who led a decade-long insurgency against Nepal’s monarchy under the nom-de-guerre Prachanda, gave a quasi endorsement to Mrs. Clinton during an interview with The Washington Times at his home in Katmandu.
When asked if he was following the American election campaign, and if so, what was his preference, Mr. Dahal said he would like to see the Democrats take over the White House.
I think the victory of Democratic Party will do good for America. For some unexplained reason — I can”t say why — I’d like to see Hillary Clinton win the election. My preference for her may be because of my own struggle here in Nepal to liberate and empower women.
The interview, conducted on Sunday, in Nepalese and without a translator, lasted about 20 minutes. It took place at Mr. Dahal’s home in Katmandu, which was flanked by soldiers from Mr. Dahal’s Maoist party and Nepalese army soldiers.
The two forces, which fought against each other in the rugged Himalayan kingdom, are expected to eventually merge.
But first, a Constituent Assembly will convene to write a new constitution and abolish the nation’s 240-year old monarchy, possibly later this month.
It was obvious that Mr. Dahal had been following events in the United States and was not hesitant to express his opinions on the American politics and policy.
When asked what would be his advice to President Bush if the two should meet, he said:
“I will ask him to review his global policies. I will tell him that he has not done good for peace and humanity.”
Asked if the term U.S. imperialism would be removed from the Maoists’ official vocabulary, he was a bit more circumspect:
I told the ambassador that our ideological differences will continue despite our interest in diplomatic relations.
Mr. Dahal was referring to a meeting last Thursday. U.S. Ambassador Nancy Powell came to his home, before flying to Washington the next day for consultations on whether to remove the Maoists from the official U.S. list of terrorist groups.
The U.S. Embassy has said little about the meeting, other than issuing a press release confirming that the session had taken place.
It said Ms. Powell sought assurances that existing agreements on U.S. aid to the impoverished country would be honored, and the Maoists would remain part of the political process.
Mr. Dahal described Ms. Powell’s visit as extremely positive.
He said he told the American ambassador that his party would remain committed to multi-party democracy.
The former rebels, who launched the Maoist people”s war in the mid 1990’s, agreed to put down their arms and enter politics a decade later.
The Maoists defied expectations by winning the most seats in April 10 elections — 220 seats in a 601-member assembly that will re-write the Constitution to bring lasting stability to the impoverished Himalayan country after a war that cost some 13,000 lives.
Flanked by aids, Mr. Dahal proved to be a gracious host, rising to greet the visiting reporter with a firm handshake.
Though time was short, much of the discussion turned to local politics, which remain unsettled following the elections. The main issue is whether the nation’s two other main parties, the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist), will join the Maoists in a coalition government. The two parties won 110 and 103 seats respectively.
Nepal’s present prime minister, Girija Prasad Korala, has yet to submit his resignation, and some members of his party, the Nepali Congress, are arguing that it should remain outside any coalition.
Mr. Dahal told The Times that he wholeheartedly welcomes other parties to join the government [but] is also prepared to form a minority government if other parties want to stay out.
Either way, he is expected to be named prime minister and acting head of state.
The Maoists have already given King Gyanendra notice to vacate the royal palace.
Much of the Nepalese royal family was shot and killed by Crown Prince Dipendra in 2001, including his father, then King Birendra, and his mother before the crown prince killed himself.
The monarchy then passed to Birendra’s younger brother, Gyanendra, who was forced to relinquish power by massive pro-democracy protests in 2006.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.