KATHMANDU: CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and CPN Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal today held talks for three hours and decided to expedite the process of unifying their two parties.

UML and CPN MC that forged electoral alliance for the provincial and parliamentary polls have announced that they will unify soon.

During a meeting held at Chairman Oli’s residence in Balkot, Bhaktapur, the two leaders dwelt on ideology and guiding principles of the unified party, according to UML Secretary Pradeep Gyawali.

“Differences were narrowed down in today’s meeting,” Gyawali told THT, adding that the two leaders were serious about unification of the two parties. He said both the parties had intensified talks to give a final shape to ideological issues and guiding principles of the new party after the unification.

Dahal’s Personal Aide Manahari Timilsina said the two leaders had agreed that one of them should lead the party and other the government. “The CPN-UML and the CPN MC have their own political ideologies and leaders are discussing whether ideological differences should be tackled now or through the general convention of the unified party,” he added.  According to Gyawali, Oli and Dahal would hold another meeting tomorrow to discuss the nitty-gritty of party unification. Both also decided to hold Party Unification Coordination Committee meeting on Sunday, according to a statement issued by Dahal’s secretariat.

Both also dwelt on the report submitted by a joint task force recommending candidates for the National Assembly election.

The two parties had formed a joint task force headed by UML leader Subas Chandra Nembang to finalise NA seat distribution. The two parties had agreed to contest 43 NA seats — UML 29 and CPN MC 14.

They agreed to make changes in the recommended list of NA candidates, if needed, and give it a final shape after tomorrow’s meeting. Gyawali said most of the vexing issues had been sorted out by the joint task force. “Now we have to finalise distribution of posts of chief ministers and speakers between our parties,” he added.

According to Oli’s Press Coordinator Chetan Adhikari, both the leaders were likely to finalise modalities of government formation and party unification in tomorrow’s meeting. He said the two parties had been working on distribution of posts and party unification simultaneously.

(UPDATED)

CPN-UML and MC party merger committee meeting on Jan 21

KATHMANDU: CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli and CPN Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal held discussion on Friday on matters pertaining to party unification and formation of National Assembly.

According to Chair Oli's Press Coordinator Chetan Adhikari, MC Chair Dahal had reached Oli's residence at Balkot for talks over the issues.

Adhikari said that the duo would sit for further discussion over the issues on Saturday and call for a meeting of party merger committee on January 21.

Moreover, it is said that Oli and Dahal also reviewed a report prepared by the task force on the selection of National Assembly candidates from the parties.