The Maoists in Nepal came to power promising social change, economic growth and lasting peace. When the Nepalese 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.
Simmering discontent saw a former chef, Padam Kunwar slap Prachanda in the face at a public function.
"They promised us freedom from poverty. But they are the ones who got rich," Kunwar said.
Some former allies agree the party's top leadership has fostered a culture of nepotism and entitlement in recent years. "The way the party works, the top guys control all the money and all the positions," Mumaram Khanal, former member of the party's central committee, told AFP "There is no transparency, only autocracy."
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 whisky -- a fondness that has not escaped the attentions of local media. "That family just loves to spend, whether it's Prachanda blowing money on hair gel or Rolex watches, his wife buying saris all the time or his son Prakash, obsessed with changing his mobile phone every two weeks," .
"It's not as though other parties haven't been accused of corruption, of favouring family members," Kunda Dixit, editor of Nepali Times explained. "They have all plundered the country, but the Maoists promised a kind of utopia... so now there is a huge sense of disillusion that has set in."
Nepal, one of the world's most unequal and impoverished countries, where nearly 25 percent of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day, according to the World Bank.
Simmering discontent saw a former chef, Padam Kunwar slap Prachanda in the face at a public function.
"They promised us freedom from poverty. But they are the ones who got rich," Kunwar said.
Some former allies agree the party's top leadership has fostered a culture of nepotism and entitlement in recent years. "The way the party works, the top guys control all the money and all the positions," Mumaram Khanal, former member of the party's central committee, told AFP "There is no transparency, only autocracy."
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 whisky -- a fondness that has not escaped the attentions of local media. "That family just loves to spend, whether it's Prachanda blowing money on hair gel or Rolex watches, his wife buying saris all the time or his son Prakash, obsessed with changing his mobile phone every two weeks," .
"It's not as though other parties haven't been accused of corruption, of favouring family members," Kunda Dixit, editor of Nepali Times explained. "They have all plundered the country, but the Maoists promised a kind of utopia... so now there is a huge sense of disillusion that has set in."
Nepal, one of the world's most unequal and impoverished countries, where nearly 25 percent of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day, according to the World Bank.
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