The Nepal Communist Party (NCP) on Monday formed its Central Committee by inducting all 441-members.

The first meeting of the Central Secretariat of the Party held at the Prime Minister’s Office in Baluwatar approved names of Central Committee leaders.

The NCP, formed after CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre) merged, had agreed to include 241 members from the former and 220 from the latter.

The meeting set three different committees to hasten merging various committees of the two erstwhile parties.

NCP Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha said, “The three committees have 15 days to submit their recommendations.”

The meeting of the top-nine leaders formed a task force to draft regulations for the parties’ unification. NCP General Secretary Bishnu Poudel will coordinate the task force that comprises prominent leaders Dev Gurung, Khimlal Devkota and Beduram Bhusal.

The meeting decided to form a recommendation committee comprising former incharge, coordinators and deputy coordinators of province committees and party committees overseas.

The meeting set another taskforce to suggest unification of party organisations. The task force comprises former incharge and coordinators.

Discontent brews as senior leaders resent demotion in new party

Discontent and resentment has started brewing in the Nepal Communist Party, the new party formed after merging CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre). This was evident at the first meeting of the Central Secretariat of the Party.

Party hierarchy has triggered discontent among senior members of the new party.

Senior leader Jhala Nath Khanal expressed resentment on his demotion to the third position in the new party after Co-Chairmen KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal and senior leader Madhav Nepal.

Khanal ranked above M K Nepal in the erstwhile CPN-UML. He had earlier announced to boycott the ranking, stating it was decided without discussions, and in his absence. Khanal was on a personal trip to China when the two parties unified and announced the new hierarchy.

“I have informed my displeasure to the party. I shall speak to the media if the party leadership fails to address my concern,” Khanal told the media at the premises of parliament on Monday.

Another leader Bhim Bahadur Rawal, who does not figure among the top nine leaders of NCP, is also miffed.

A party member familiar with Rawal’s current mood said he is unhappy with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Puspha Kumar Dahal and expressed his dissatisfaction.

Rawal, vice-chairman of the erstwhile CPN-UML, was former Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Nepal in Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s Cabinet in 2015, and former Minister of Home Affairs of Nepal in Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal’s Cabinet in 2009.

Another party source informed Khanal and Rawal are also upset with the nomination of Central Committee members and have urged the leadership to revise it.

Defence Minister Ishwar Pokhrel, who was the General Secretary in UML,is unhappy with Poudel’s appointment to the post.