As the unification process of the two major left parties appears to have lost steam, the CPN (Maoist Centre) has decided to shore up its existing structures.

Maoist leaders said an extended meeting of the party headquarters on Sunday decided to continue strengthening the party committees to operate them in a systematic way.

Party committees of both the Maoist Centre and CPN-UML are not functioning well due to the ongoing preparations for the party unification. The UML has also decided to put on hold conferences of different wings of the party until the unification process is complete. “Since the unification process will be delayed, the party has decided to manage the party’s rank and file by fixing the size of party units to ease the unification process,” said Haribol Gajurel, a member of the party headquarters.

The party has not fixed the date for the standing committee meeting yet, Gajurel said, adding that the committee would shortly develop a plan for strengthening the party units. The Maoist leaders believe a well-managed party structure will make it easier for both the parties to handle their separate committees in the unification process. The Maoist Centre’s structured’ committees with around 4,000 members of party convention organising committee.

The leaders say the party chairman have been suggested not to go for unification in haste without securing a respectable position in the central committee of the unified party.

On Sunday, the debate between the UML and Maoist Centre cadres over the banner at the unity parade to mark 69th establishment day of communist party in Nepal brought to the fore the deep differences between the two parties.

Though both party chairpersons expressed their commitment to party unity, the leaders of Maoist Centre believe that the unity may take more time to materialise as the UML has been reluctant to allocate a respectable share to them.

The Maoist Centre has been demanding equal share in the central committee of the unified party besides ensuring a justifiable position for the party chairman in the government and the unified party. They have yet to agree on election symbol of the new party.