Unification after govt formation: Gyawali

Pokhara, January 6

CPN-UML secretary Pradip Gyawali today said visible and invisible forces were active in the country to thwart unification of the CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre.

Talking to mediapersons in Pokhara, Gyawali said, “Discussion for the unification is underway between the top leaders of the two biggest communist parties.” He clarified that it was not the management of leaders was not a big issue for merger. “Political chaos has pushed back the merger process of the two parties,” Gyawali added. He held that merger process would take momentum after the formation of new government.

Gyawali also said there was no dispute over who would become the prime minister and who would be the party chair of the unified party. “Party leaders are working for unification. Pushpa Kamal Dahal and KP Oli have not met for few days does not mean that unification process has been disrupted,” Gyawali said. Dismissing the rumours against the unification of the two parties, Gyawali said party unification was not only the issue of Oli and Dahal but of the party cadres and the public.

Gyawali said both the UML and Maoist Centre had given top priority to government formation and party unification. Stating that unified party would downsize its central committee, Gyawali said it was a wrong thing for the Maoist and UML leaders to lobby for their positions in the unified party. Gyawali asked the leaders from both the parties not to speak about their positions publicly as it would create difficulty in the party unification process.

On a different note, Gyawali said National Assembly poll was pushed back by a month to fulfil one’s vested interest. He questioned why the Election Commission required one month for conducting NA polls. “Even the EC has been used as a card to delay the process of new government formation and to foil the Maoist and UML unification,” Gyawali charged.