National
Fresh ideology for new party: Left alliance
Leaders of the left alliance have said they are charting out a new ideology based on Marxism and Leninism for a new party to be formed after the merger between the two left parties.Leaders of the left alliance have said they are charting out a new ideology based on Marxism and Leninism for a new party to be formed after the merger between the two left parties.
Addressing a function organised by the Nepal Study Centre here on Sunday, Maoist Centre leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha and UML Deputy General Secretary Ghanashyam Bhusal said that party unity would not be possible if the two parties stick to their existing ideological bases—UML’s People’s Multi-party Democracy and Maoist Centre’s Maoism. They said a new ideological basis would be developed incorporating Marxist and Leninist principles which both the parties accept.
As the two parties have long been criticising each other over their ideologies, both sides have been working to abandon them and develop a new one.
“It’s not that Maoist Centre merging with UML or vice-versa, it is a creation of a new party,” said Maoist Centre leader Devendra Poudel, adding that a new ideological ground would be built after a series of brainstorming.
According to Maoist Centre leader Agni Sapkota, UML leaders who had previously held a thought “people’s war was a mistake in principle” have moved on since. “UML leaders have started saying that the nation has reached this stage due to the people’s movement based on people’s war,” said Maoist Centre leader Agni Sapkota, adding that things would be much easier on ideological front now.
Meanwhile on the power-sharing issue, leader Poudel said the UML, being the larger party in the alliance, would choose one of the two key positions. “If the UML gets President Maoist Centre would claim the post of Speaker and vice-versa,” Poudel told reporters on Sunday.
The two parties, however, said they would not extend the tenure of incumbent President Bidya Devi Bhandari though the UML chairman is said to be in favour of it. Former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal has been expressing his willingness to become the next President.
Unification first: Poudel
UML Deputy General Secretary Bishnu Poudel has said that merger talks are under way with the CPN (Maoist Centre).
“Probably we will unify the parties before forming the new government and lead the government as a single party,” he said, talking to the media in the Capital on Sunday. “For now we are working as an alliance of two leftist parties. But we will lead the government as one party.”
Poudel said that the next government would be led by UML Chairman KP Oli and the party leadership would be decided after internal discussion.