KATHMANDU: Five Maoist parties and factions decided to unify their forces and announce the unified party on May 19.

UCPN-Maoist led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, CPN-Revolutionary Maoist led by Ram Bahadur Thapa, Revolutionary Communist Party led by Mani Thapa  and a faction from Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist under the leadership of Basanta Gharti signed a 13-point agreement to unify.

Maoist leader Jayapuri Gharti who had been advocating for the unification among various Maoist forces also signed the document.

They also formed a five-member Party Unification Coordination Committee, including Dahal, Thapa duo and Gharti duo.

Earlier this afternoon, central committee meetings of Dahal and Thapa-led parties had endorsed the agreement.

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According to UCPN-Maoist General Secretary Krishna Bahadur Mahara, the parties would hold a joint convention on May 19 morning and announce the unification in the afternoon on the same day.