CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has claimed that the remaining issues of unification with the CPN-UML would be finalised by Friday.Addressing a political training for party cadres at Chandranigahpur in Rautahat on Thursday, Dahal claimed that the merger would get close to announcement on Friday after discussions on the documents submitted by the Party Unification Coordination Committee (PUCC).

Dahal and UML Chairman and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli are preparing to finalise the two reports presented by the two taskforces led by Madhav Kumar Nepal and Ram Bahadur Thapa in a meeting slated for Friday.

Dahal also accused foreign power centres of trying to derail the unification bid, urging party leaders and cadres to join the final battle of party unification.

Maoist leaders, however, claimed that Dahal would not be ready to merge the party with the UML unless he was confident of becoming the chair of the unified party within the next couple of years or share the five-year term of prime minister with Oli. The UML chair has not committed to Dahal’s demands.

Also, other leaders of the two parties including senior Maoist leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha argue that the parties cannot guarantee Dahal’s leadership now as picking the leader is the prerogative of the unity convention. “Even if UML leaders were ready for a written agreement, sovereign participants of the convention could deny it,” said a Maoist Centre leader.

During a recent headquarters meeting of the party, Dahal communicated that

Oli was still rigid on the demands for a “respectable and equitable merger” between the two parties. Several other Maoist leaders said UML leaders do not want an equal Maoist share in the central committee.

On the other hand, some leaders claimed that Oli was also concerned about his status in case Dahal teams up with the Madhav Nepal faction to bolster his position in the unified party.

Some leaders of both the parties see little possibility of merger anytime soon. Maoist Centre headquarters member Mani Thapa said even if the two parties failed to become one in the near future their governing coalition would remain and efforts for unification continue.

The PUCC has entrusted Oli and Dahal with resolving the outstanding issues.