Preparations for party unification in final stage: Dahal

Kathmandu, December 16

CPN Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal today said the preparations for unification between his party and CPN-UML had reached the final stage.

Addressing an event organised by UML to thank voters of Kathmandu Constituency No 5, Dahal said the voters had endorsed the idea of party unification and therefore the merger was inevitable.

UML General Secretary Ishwor Pokhrel was elected to the Parliament from Kathmandu-5.

“The fresh popular mandate is that we make a unified communist party and end political instability prevailing for the last 70 years in the country”, Dahal said, adding that cadres of both the parties deserve appreciation for their efforts to take the left alliance close to two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives.

Dahal said unification between the two parties could not take place before the elections due to some ‘technical difficulties’ that prompted them to go to the poll with common candidates and manifesto.

“Both the parties have equal contribution to the alliance’s electoral success,” he said.

On the occasion, former prime minister and senior UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal stressed that the party unification process should be completed without any delay. He also said the left alliance should work for development and prosperity of the country.

“The alliance also should take the opposition into confidence,” he said, urging the Nepal Congress to support the alliance’s bid to build the nation, rising above partisan interests.

Another former prime minister and senior UML leader Jhala Nath Khanal said the country had now entered the era of development, as the election had effectively ended the prolonged political transition. “Now everyone at grassroots level should be able to reap benefits of democracy,” he said.

Addressing the function, CPN-UML General Secretary Pokhrel expressed commitment that the left alliance would not go against the will of the people.

The two newly elected provincial assembly members from Kathmandu -5 ‘Ka’ Narayan Silwal and Kathmandu -5 ‘Kha’ Dipak Niraula said they were committed to meeting their voters’ aspirations.