Valley
UML leaders bat for early merger with Maoists
A Standing Committee meeting of the CPN-UML on Monday decided to make optimum effort not to let the unification process with the CPN (Maoist Centre) derail.A Standing Committee meeting of the CPN-UML on Monday decided to make optimum effort not to let the unification process with the CPN (Maoist Centre) derail.
During the emergency meeting held at the official residence of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in Baluwatar on Monday evening, a majority of UML leaders stressed further talks with the Maoist party for giving the merger process a logical conclusion.
“Our meeting stressed the need to conclude unification at the earliest. The Party Unification Coordination Committee on Tuesday will ensure the merger,” said UML Secretary Bhim Acharya.
UML leaders believe that Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal wants guarantee of his position in the unified party. A UML leader suspected that the Maoist Centre wanted to have a strong presence in the unified party so that the possibility of splitting the party in future remains. They argued that party merger would not be essential if such a divided mentality persisted.
Maoist leaders want equal share in the central committee of the unified outfit.
Top leaders of the two parties Oli and Dahal agreed during their meeting earlier in the day to convene the PUCC on Tuesday morning.
According to Dahal’s secretariat, the two leaders discussed unresolved issues of unification. While the talks were “positive”, they have yet to finalise the matters.
“People have given us the mandate for unification and we are committed to it,” said UML leader Subas Nembang. “The meeting, hence, has decided to conclude the unification process within the stipulated time.”
Maoist sources claimed that an announcement of unification between the two parties would be impossible on April 22 as more negotiation would be necessary to sort the differences considering the stances of the left allies.