• Clarity sought on NCP’s minimum programme’s role in framing govt’s policies and programmes

Kathmandu, December 28 Standing Committee meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) concluded today, approving the political paper presented by co-chairmen KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal with revision. The Standing Committee decided that the co-chairmen would amend the political paper incorporating comments and recommendations from leaders during the two-week meeting. The committee, however, did not take any decision on what is to be revised in the document, except on the party’s minimum programmes. Standing Committee member Beduram Bhusal said the committee decided to revise the document based on the ‘language used in the understanding at the time of merger’ between the erstwhile CPN-UML and CPN-MC as far as the party’s minimum programmes were concerned. During the meeting, Standing Committee members said the document offered no clarification on several issues — whether or not one person, one post would apply, what would be the status of decisions taken by the party secretariat and whether or not the party’s statute would be reviewed. They also sought clarity on what should be the party’s minimum programme and how it could play a decisive role in framing the government’s policies and programmes. “As per the Standing Committee’s decision, the co-chairmen will revise the paper using their own discretion,” said Standing Committee member Mani Thapa. The Standing Committee has also formed a task force to make recommendations on finalising organisational unification by mid-January. The NCP has yet to complete merger of the subordinate bodies and affiliated organisations of the two erstwhile communist parties. Members of the task force include General Secretary Bishnu Poudel, Ram Bahadur Thapa, Shankar Pokhrel, Barshaman Pun, Yogesh Bhattarai, Lekhraj Bhatta, Surendra Pandey and Beduram Bhusal. The task force will submit its report to the co-chairmen before the convening of the standing committee meeting scheduled for mid-January, which will finalise organisational unification.