UML, CPN-MC unity issues still not resolved

Kathmandu May 3

Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and CPN-Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal held one-on-one meeting twice at Baluwatar today, but they could not reach agreement on the disputed issues of party unification.

Afrter holding a meeting with

Senior CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, Dahal went to Prime Minister Oli’s residence in the morning and held talks with him on unification issues.

“We have not reached conclusion on unification issues yet, but we have discussed openly and our meeting ended on a positive note,” Dahal’s Press Advisor Bishnu Sapkota quoted Dahal as saying after his meeting with Oli and Nepal.

According to sources, Dahal discussed two key issues with Oli and Nepal – a win–win deal for both the CPN-MC and the CPN-UML; and equal representation in the unified party’s central committee.

Dahal had said yesterday in his party secretariat meeting that he would discuss unification issues with Oli and he wanted the unification date to be announced on May 5 to coincide with the bicentennial birth anniversary of German Philosopher Karl Marx.

According to sources, there is slim chance of announcement of unification date on May 5 because PM Oli is scheduled to visit Chitwan tomorrow and the two leaders are likely to meet only on Saturday.

Dahal had met senior UML leader Nepal to sort out issues related to the unified party’s central committee numbers. Nepal had opposed the understanding between Oli and Dahal to have 400 members in the Central Committee of the unified party.

According to sources, Dahal had met Nepal with the consent of Oli. Dahal also briefed the PM what he had discussed with Nepal.

The UML leader tried to convince Dahal not to have 400 members in the CC, but Dahal argued that having 400 members in the CC was necessary to manage the aspirations of party leaders, according to a source.

Dahal wanted to have around 200 leaders in the CC from his party. The taskforce led by Senior CPN-MC leader Ram Bahadur Thapa had suggested having 299 members in the unified party’s Central Committee.

Sources said Dahal also discussed with Nepal power sharing in relation to the posts of prime minister and the unified party chairman. CPN-Maoist Centre leaders had suggested that Dahal meet Nepal as well.

Karl Marx’s birth bicentennial celebration committee coordinated by UML Deputy General Secretary Ghanashyam Bhusal has organised a two-day workshop on Marxism and it will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Oli and CPN-Maoist Centre Chair Dahal tomorrow.