Mao killed and starved millions. Maybe electing people who are followers is not really a smart idea if you want to better your life. As Orwell said, some are Mao equal than others…
Via AFP:
Kathmandu. When Nepal ousted the monarchy and voted in a Maoist-led government in 2008, few anticipated that, five years on, the former guerrillas would come under fire for living like kings.
Commentators and former rebels say the party’s leadership has swapped its revolutionary ideals for corruption-fuelled luxury, with the strongest criticism reserved for chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known by the nom-de-guerre Prachanda.
The Maoists came to power promising social change, economic growth and lasting peace for a country devastated by a decade-long civil war.
Since then, Nepal has seen several coalition governments come and go, with none able to agree on a constitution to finalise the peace process.
Meanwhile, the Maoists have witnessed a mutiny, with a splinter group threatening to disrupt next week’s national elections.
Former guerrilla Bishnu Pariyar took up arms aged 14. By the time he was 22, he had survived gunshot wounds to become one of Prachanda’s personal aides.
“The rich used to treat us like dogs and I thought our war would liberate the poor,” Pariyar said.
Soon after he began working for the Maoist chief, he noticed Prachanda’s taste for luxury brands and imported whiskey — a fondness that has not escaped the attentions of local media.