My party Chairman is fully behind me’ – Interview with Baburam Bhattarai

The Constituent Assembly is set to expire on August 31. No substantial progress has been made on the peace and constitution process in accordance with the five-point deal made on May 28 to justify yet another tenure. The opposition parties are clamouring for Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal’s resignation, while the ruling coalition seems divided on the political course. Amid this chaos, the resounding rhetoric has been about the need to form a national consensus government. After weeks of deliberation and bitter infighting among different factions, the Maoists have unanimously endorsed party Vice Chairman Baburam Bhattarai as its prime ministerial candidate. Bidushi Dhungel and John Narayan Parajuli spoke with Bhattarai about the state of intra-, inter-party negotiations, issues in the peace process, and his relations with Dahal. Excerpts: