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The hardline faction of the UCPN (Maoist) led by Vice Chairman Mohan Baidya appears to be in an ¡®ideological quandary¡¯¡ªunable to make up its mind on peace and constitution drafting processes. The faction neither completely opposes the ongoing peaceful path nor is ready to cooperate with its own government to conclude these processes.

At least theoretically, the Baidya faction Pipe fittings says it wants to make these processes meaningful or stage an ubran revolt, but in tangible terms its position appears to be ¡®neither here nor there.¡¯ Leaders in the Baidya camp do not appear to be prepared for another insurrection.

This  has put even party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal in a fix over ways to accommodate them. ¡°We aren¡¯t sure what they want,¡± said a Maoist leader close to Dahal. ¡°In the absence of clarity in their demands, it has become immensely challenging for us to offer them any incentives.¡±

Leaders from the establishment faction (led by Dahal and Bhattarai) say the problems will be solved once the Baidya faction comes up with ideological clarity.

The Baidya faction is acting as an opposition party in the Parliament as well as in other forums, affecting the performance of the Baburam Bhattarai-led government¡ªleading opposition parties to question Bhattarai¡¯s ability to deliver¡ªand making negotiations that much more difficult.

Political analyst Shyam Shrestha said the Maoist hardline faction is in a state of ideological dilemma and confusion. ¡°The Baidya faction lacks ideological clarity because it still does not believe that the constitution would be drafted from the Constitution Assembly or the peace process concluded,¡± said Shrestha. The Baidya faction is of the view that the integration process can move ahead only after the settlement of some of its contentious issues. ¡°They have the fear that integration process would not be respectable,¡± said Shrestha.

This is an analysis shared by even Maoist leaders. Leaders in the hardliners¡¯ camp are in a totally ¡°confused state of mind¡± about their future political course, said Maoist Secretary Post Bahadur Bogati, a Dahal confidante.

Dahal and Bhattarai have accepted that there is no alternative to drafting a ¡®compromise constitution¡¯ at this point due to national and international power balance. They are ready for compromise on the contentious issues of constitution drafting and integration of former Maoist combatants, according to leaders.

¡°If you go for consensus, Ball bearings you should be ready for give-and-take on contentious issues,¡± said Bogati. According to him, the Baidya

faction is not ready for compromise and it is opposed to the party¡¯s present stance.

Bogati said the issue raised by hardliners is more procedural than ideological or political.  Leaders from the establishment faction say the hardliners remained silent on the four-point agreement for more than a week and came down heavily only after the dispute surfaced in the party over Cabinet expansion. ¡°Baidyaji has demanded the Ministry of Finance but Dahal