Two Maoist parties to settle property row

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: The Unified CPN-Maoist and its breakaway faction CPN-Maoist today formed a four-member joint taskforce to settle dispute over ownership of the party’s offices and other physical properties across the country.

After a meeting between UCPN-M Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-M Chairman Mohan Baidhya this morning, both the leaders decided to appoint Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Agni Sapkota of UCPN-M and Dev Prasad Gurung and Hitman Shakya of CPN-M as the members of the taskforce.

The taskforce will recommend leadership of both sides about ways to settle the ownership dispute over the party’s properties, including the Paris Danda-based party headquarters, and district offices.

CPN-M Secretary Gurung said the taskforce recommendation would help subdue confrontation between the two sides.

Agni Sapkota, a taskforce member representing the UCPN-Maoist, said the taskforce would not only recommend leadership of both the parties ways to settle party’s property disputes but would also advise on other political issues. Sapkota said the taskforce was not given any specific time to complete its task.

Cadres of both the Maoist parties have been engaged in clashes of late, staking claim to party offices and properties across the country.

The Baidhya-led faction had launched a separate political outfit calling it CPN-Maoist on June 18, alleging that the establishment side had given up revolutionary stance and ideology.

Scores of cadres from both the sides were injured, some of them seriously, about 10 days ago after a fierce fighting erupted between them over who should occupy the party’s district office in Chitwan, home district of UCPN-Maoist Chairman Dahal.