KATHMANDU: Various Maoist parties including the UCPN-Maoist, the CPN-Revolutionary Maoist and the Revolutionary Communist Party on Thursday announced the merger and renamed the unified party as the CPN Maoist Centre. The 10 parties and factions also chose UCPN-Maoist Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal as Chairman of the unified party. Names of other office bearers and central committee members, however, were not disclosed at the announcement ceremony held this afternoon after hours-long unity convention held this morning. It has been learned that the unified party would have a 699-member central committee. Earlier, on Saturday, the parties had signed an 13-point base for unification. Leaders including Ram Bahadur Thapa of the Mohan Baidya-led CPN-Revolutionary Maoist had split the party on the same day in order to unify after Baidya did not agree on the unification bid.