• CPN-RM leaders divided over quick unification

Kathmandu, February 27

CPN-Revolutionary Maoist leaders are divided over the proposed unification with Unified CPN-Maoist.

Sources said Mohan Baidhya’s tough response yesterday to Dahal was the result of an attempt to begin the unification process with a significant chunk of CPN-R Maoist leaders.

Baidhya said unification was not that easy as the two parties have not engaged in ironing out differences in their ideological issues. He was responding to Dahal’s statement that both parties would united within weeks.

A group of leaders led by General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa have been pressing the reluctant leaders, especially Chairman Baidhya and Vice-chairman C P Gajurel to expedite the unification process.

However, the senior leaders of the party have been claiming that they must clarify the ideological positions of the unified party first.

Lately, UCPN-M Chair Dahal’s political document for unification did not get Baidhya’s response as expected.

Baidhya proposed forming a dialogue team instead.

Dahal rejected the idea, claiming that would take an unnecessarily long time and it would be best to resolve conflicting issues through a few leaders from both sides.

Meanwhile, Kul Prasad KC-led team of younger central members had also been pressing the leadership to work towards a quick unification.

Claiming that the leadership had been delaying the process unnecessarily, a significant chunk of leaders were also preparing to begin the process by joining UCPN-M, along with the Revolutionary Communist Party led by Mani Thapa.

Thapa claimed that UCPN-M leaders were in constant touch with leaders willing to unite and they were ready to join the process anytime. However, General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa was for convincing the entire leadership of the party as they were also in favour of unity.

CPN-RM leader Pari Thapa said there was no hurry to patch up as political ideology and party line were the factors of utmost important for the existence of any party.