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| Vice-President of Nepal - Nanda Kishor Pun |
Parliament Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar, herself a former Maoist guerrilla, announced Pun’s victory. He defeated the NC’s vice presidential candidate, Amiya Kumar Yadav, with 325 votes. Yadav secured only 212 votes. Despite being backed by the ruling coalition of UML, UCPN(M), RPP (N) and MJF (D), Pun’s victory was not a foregone conclusion. The UCPN (M) had supported UML Chair KP Oli and Vice Chair Bidya Bhandari to become Prime Minister and President respectively, and it was expecting the leading party of the ruling coalition to reciprocate.
But a day before UCPN (M) nominated Pun’s candidacy, some UML leaders belonging to the Madhav Kumar Nepal camp objected to his name and asked Maoist Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal to come up with another candidate.
Dahal threatened to withdraw support to the Oli government if the ruling collation did not unilaterally agree on Pun’s name. It was only then UML gave its nod to Pun’s candidacy.
Nevertheless, the UCPN (M) was still suspicious that some UML lawmakers would not vote for Pun. Prime Minister Oli had to instruct all UML lawmakers to ‘show honesty’ by voting for Pun.
A reclusive and reticent warrior from the remote village of Rangsi of Rolpa, the epicentre of the Maoist insurgence, Pun was one of the four deputy commanders of the ‘People’s Liberation Army’ (PLA).
Alongside Barsha Man Pun (Ananta), Janardan Sharma (Prabhakar) and Chandra Prakash Khanal (Baldev), Pun was second only to the Maoist Chair Dahal (Prachanda) in the PLA ranking. He is better known by his nom-de-guerre ‘Pasang’. Pun was the backbone of the Maoist military wing right from the beginning, and he not only planned but also led most of the major battles in western Nepal. In July 2006, he had revealed to Nepali Times that he had himself planned the first Maoist attack on an army base in Ghorahi of Dang in November, 2001. Until the Ghorahi attack, the Maoists had been fighting the police and the battle sucked the Royal Nepal Army into the war.
Pun was a communist right from his school life. He was a member of the first Rolpa district committee of the CPN (Unity Centre) — the precursor to the CPN (Maoist). He was involved in the CPN (Unity Centre’s) Young communist League, which was turned into Ladaku Dal. After the CPN (Unity Centre) became the CPN (Maoist), Pun threw himself into a bloody war that lasted until 2006.
Despite being defeated in Bhalubang, Kusum and Khara and suffering heavy casualties in Beni, Pun was still considered to be a successful Maoist commander. Accustomed to underground political and military activity, he failed to leave a mark in open politics.
In the second Constituent Assembly (CA) elections, Pun was defeated in a Kathmandu constituency by the NC’s more charismatic youth leader Gagan Thapa. After the election, and in failing health, he was gradually sliding into oblivion. Pun wanted to become Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, but that was not possible because he was not a member of parliament. Dahal convinced him to agree on the post of Vice President, which was never his first choice.
By virtue of being vice president, Pun has now become the deputy Supreme Commander of the Nepal Army against which he fought bloody battles on many fronts and occasions between 2001 and 2006.
Om Astha Rai
Kathmandu :
Soon after his victory in the Vice President election on Saturday,
Nanda Bahadur Pun ‘Pasang’ reached UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal
Dahal’s residence in Lazimpat. While Dahal suggested that he work for
the country and the people, Pun thanked his party boss for playing a
vital role in ensuring his victory.
Given the affinity that the two
developed over the years, Vice President-elect Pun’s gesture was not
surprising. Many see Pun becoming the second Vice President of the
Republic of Nepal as the reward of his continued devotion to the party
and his contribution to the peace process especially during the
integration of the Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army. During the
insurgency, he served as one of the four deputy commanders of the
People’s Liberation Army whose chief was Dahal. In the decade-long
insurgency, Pun not only planned but led most of the major battles with
the state security forces. Since the Maoist party entered peaceful
politics in 2006, Pun has not held any public office whereas his
contemporaries Janardan Sharma and Barsha Man Pun went on to become
ministers.
But this time around, even Dahal was
under immense pressure to find him a high office. With the Maoist party
joining the CPN-UML-led government, Pun for the first time demanded a
ministerial position. But it was not possible as he was not a member of
Parliament. According to Maoist leaders, Dahal was impressed by Pun’s
wartime role as the deputy commander of the Maoist army. Dahal made Pun
the PLA commander after he became the prime minister in 2008. According
to leaders, Pun played a “constructive role” in the concluding phase of
the integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants. He
facilitated the implementation of the decisions taken by the government
and the parties, the UCPN (Maoist) acknowledged on Saturday.
Due to the delay in vacating the
Maoist cantonments, there was resentment among combatants but he took
all division commanders into confidence. In the final days of
integration, there was tension in the camps but he was able to manage
the dispute, said Maoist leaders.
He was a member of the Joint
Monitoring Coordination Committee chaired by the UN Mission in Nepal
with membership of both the national and Maoist armies formed in the
initial days of the peace process. The JMCC was responsible for
supervising compliance by parties with the Agreement on Monitoring and
Management of Arms and Armies.
Before casting his vote for Pun on
Saturday, Prime Minister KP Oli said he appreciated Pun’s role in the
completion of the peace process. Given his poor health, Pun was not keen
to continue active party politics. Party insiders said this is the
reason why he opted for vice-presidency. In 2013, he faced serious
problems in his both kidneys but he refused to go abroad for treatment.
Born in October 23, 1965 in Rangsi
village of Rolpa, Pun received school-level education from village
school and higher education from Mahendra Multiple Campus in Ghorahi,
Dang.
He was a Janajati Maoist leader of
humble background from Mid West to have reached such a high public
position. Besides formal education, he studied military science and
political philosophy mainly during his political career.
He also served as a teacher in his
village for some time. Following his defeat in the second Constituent
Assembly election from Kathmandu-4, he had remained passive in party
politics. However, his elevation to the country’s second top position
will keep him in the limelight until new presidential elections after a
new legislature is elected.
- See more at: http://www.nayapage.com/english/39619#sthash.axwisgyb.dpuf
Kathmandu :
Soon after his victory in the Vice President election on Saturday,
Nanda Bahadur Pun ‘Pasang’ reached UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal
Dahal’s residence in Lazimpat. While Dahal suggested that he work for
the country and the people, Pun thanked his party boss for playing a
vital role in ensuring his victory.
Given the affinity that the two
developed over the years, Vice President-elect Pun’s gesture was not
surprising. Many see Pun becoming the second Vice President of the
Republic of Nepal as the reward of his continued devotion to the party
and his contribution to the peace process especially during the
integration of the Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army. During the
insurgency, he served as one of the four deputy commanders of the
People’s Liberation Army whose chief was Dahal. In the decade-long
insurgency, Pun not only planned but led most of the major battles with
the state security forces. Since the Maoist party entered peaceful
politics in 2006, Pun has not held any public office whereas his
contemporaries Janardan Sharma and Barsha Man Pun went on to become
ministers.
But this time around, even Dahal was
under immense pressure to find him a high office. With the Maoist party
joining the CPN-UML-led government, Pun for the first time demanded a
ministerial position. But it was not possible as he was not a member of
Parliament. According to Maoist leaders, Dahal was impressed by Pun’s
wartime role as the deputy commander of the Maoist army. Dahal made Pun
the PLA commander after he became the prime minister in 2008. According
to leaders, Pun played a “constructive role” in the concluding phase of
the integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants. He
facilitated the implementation of the decisions taken by the government
and the parties, the UCPN (Maoist) acknowledged on Saturday.
Due to the delay in vacating the
Maoist cantonments, there was resentment among combatants but he took
all division commanders into confidence. In the final days of
integration, there was tension in the camps but he was able to manage
the dispute, said Maoist leaders.
He was a member of the Joint
Monitoring Coordination Committee chaired by the UN Mission in Nepal
with membership of both the national and Maoist armies formed in the
initial days of the peace process. The JMCC was responsible for
supervising compliance by parties with the Agreement on Monitoring and
Management of Arms and Armies.
Before casting his vote for Pun on
Saturday, Prime Minister KP Oli said he appreciated Pun’s role in the
completion of the peace process. Given his poor health, Pun was not keen
to continue active party politics. Party insiders said this is the
reason why he opted for vice-presidency. In 2013, he faced serious
problems in his both kidneys but he refused to go abroad for treatment.
Born in October 23, 1965 in Rangsi
village of Rolpa, Pun received school-level education from village
school and higher education from Mahendra Multiple Campus in Ghorahi,
Dang.
He was a Janajati Maoist leader of
humble background from Mid West to have reached such a high public
position. Besides formal education, he studied military science and
political philosophy mainly during his political career.
He also served as a teacher in his
village for some time. Following his defeat in the second Constituent
Assembly election from Kathmandu-4, he had remained passive in party
politics. However, his elevation to the country’s second top position
will keep him in the limelight until new presidential elections after a
new legislature is elected.
- See more at: http://www.nayapage.com/english/39619#sthash.axwisgyb.dpuf
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