KATHMANDU, AUGUST 15
The central committee of the CPN-Maoist Centre endorsed the party's interim statute that has a provision to elect five office bearers – chairperson, vice-chairperson, general secretary, secretary, and treasurer from among the central committee members.
CPN-MC central committee member Lilamani Pokharel said the party had not fixed the number of central committee members, but decided to keep around 200 members that were in the party's top body when the party had merged with the CPN- UML in 2018. Asked why the party chose to adopt a less democratic method to elect central party leadership, Pokharel said five central office bearers was an accepted practice in communist parties around the world.
Recently, the establishment faction of the CPN-UML had also adopted a similar method to elect its central office bearers.
The Central Committee meeting also decided to hold its national conference from December 26 to 28 to elect the new central leadership. The party's interim statute scrapped its district chapter as it plans to follow the district coordination committee model. CPN-MC Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha said the new interim statute had a provision for ensuring 35 per cent women participation in party committees, 15 per cent Dalit participation in central executive bodies, and 20 per cent youths in local party committees.
The meeting also unanimously passed the political report submitted by party Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
According to Shrestha, the report says that although the regressive move was thwarted with the help of left-democratic alliance, threat of regression had not ended. The CPN-MC and left-democratic alliance called former prime minister KP Sharma Oli's move dissolving the House of Representatives a regressive one.
The report also pledges to keep the left-democratic alliance intact till there is a need to protect the constitution and democracy and till the question of national independence requires them to maintain their alliance.
Dahal's political document also plans to transform the party into a revolutionary political force to champion the cause of proletariats and working-class people.
Asked if the party discussed its position on the Millennium Challenge Corporation compact that Nepal had signed with the United States of America, Shrestha said, "Our stated position is that this agreement should be adopted only after some amendments are made to it. It cannot be ratified by the Parliament in the current form." He didn't elaborate on the changes needed to be made.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 16 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
