Kathmandu, August 16

Disgruntled leaders of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) have opposed recommendations of task forces formed to finalise unification of the erstwhile CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre.

Eight CPN (CPN) leaders, including Hasta Pandit, Hom Narayan Shrestha, Balkrishna Deuja, Shashinath Acharya, Ashok Chaulagai, Ishwor Timilsina, Chari Bahadur Tamang and Madhav Prasad Acharya from Sindhupalchowk, who represented the erstwhile UML, have opposed the  recommendations submitted to provincial committee this week.

They said the report was against the spirit of unification, and even task force members Saresh Nepal and Hasta Pandit were kept in the dark while preparing the report.

As per the task force’s recommendation, the 145-member Sindhupalchowk district committee will have 73 members from the UML and 72 from the CPN-MC.

NCP (NCP) leaders, however, termed such discontent ‘normal’.

All district- and provincial-level task forces have submitted their recommendations to the party, recommending number of members in the committees.

Leaders aspiring for district and provincial committee leadership have started lobbying the central leadership of the party. Sources said they had been visiting Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and party Co-Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

According to NCP (NCP) leader Dor Prasad Upadhya, the Standing Committee meeting scheduled for August 24 and 25 will finalise provincial committees’ office bearers, while provincial committees will finalise the district committees’ office bearers. He said the provincial and district committees would be formed by mid-September.

The Standing Committee will take a decision on the basis of recommendations made by the task forces. “There is competition among eligible leaders to hold the post of in-charge, chairs and secretaries” said a NCP (NCP) leader.

The erstwhile UML and CPN-Maoist Cetnre will share party positions in the 60:40 ratio. As per the criteria, UML will get leadership in four provinces and CPN-Maoist Centre in three provinces.