KATHMANDU: A joint meeting of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Rastriya Janashakti Party today formed a committee to give impetus to the unification process.

The former royalist parties on February 6 had decided, in principle, to merge the two parties and had appointed Bishwabandhu Thapa as the coordinator.

Today’s meeting appointed 11 ex-officio members, one member secretary and 12 members for the committee.

The ex-officio members are Surya Bahadur Thapa, Pashupati Sumsher Rana, Lokendra Bahadur Chand, Rajeshwor Devkota, Dr Prakash Chandra Lohani, Hari Bahadur Basnet, Keshar Bahadur Bista, Parshuram Khapung, Dhurba Bahadur Pradhan, Khem Raj Pandit and Buddhiman Tamang. Thakur Prasad Sharma has been appointed as member secretary of the committee.

Members of the committee include Giri Bahadur KC, Chandra Kumar Ghunde Gurung, Laldhoj Lama, Brijlal Yadav, Toran Bahadur Gurung, Dr Dhabal Sumsher Rana, Thakur Singh Tharu, Palsang Lama, Babukaji Pradhan, Ganga Baral, Bir Singh Thakuri and Pushkar Datta Bhatta. Kiran Giri and Khem Raj Pandit have been appointed publicity committee members.

The committee will devise a plan to expedite the unification process beginning from the local-level working committees of the two parties to the central level within one year, said Giri.