‘Haphazard party unification unacceptable’

Pokhara, January 26

Nepal Communist Party (NCP) senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal today said that the unification of then CPN-Maoist Centre and CPN-UML should be completed on the basis of certain procedure.

Speaking at a press meet organised by Press Organisation Kaski in Pokhara, Nepal stressed that the party secretariat and standing committee meeting of the party should formulate procedure to conclude party unification at the centre, province and district levels. “Haphazard unification of the party will not be acceptable,” he stated.

Nepal made it clear that he did not agree to the list of province leaders fixed by co-chairs Pushpa Kamal Dahal and KP Sharma Oli without following any procedure. “Party leadership has committed a mistake in determining province- and district-level leadership. The party should also adopt the policy of one person one post,” he said.

He expressed worry over the party secretariat’s modus operandi of not working as per the procedure. “If the committee is formed on the basis of seniority from the centre to the local levels, discipline will be maintained in the party. Otherwise, there will be chaos in the party,” Nepal warned.

Nepal advised Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to solicit suggestion from both ruling and opposition parties and move ahead in the interest of the country and the people. He asked the main opposition Nepali Congress not to stage protest, saying the government should be given time to work.

On a different note, Nepal defended the government’s decision to host Asia Pacific Summit organised by Universal Peace Federation in Kathmandu. “I made arrangements for the programme thinking that it would promote tourism,” Nepal said, adding, “I do not seek personal benefit. I do not work against the country and people. I simply made the arrangements in line with the prime minister’s instructions,” Nepal clarified.

Nepal demanded an independent investigation into the wide-body scam, Budhi Gandaki Hydro Power, 33 kg gold smuggling incident and land purchase by Nepal Oil Corporation. “The guilty in these cases should not be spared, whoever they are,” Nepal argued.