Kathmandu, December 18:

A joint panel of the ruling CPN-Maoist and the CPN (Unity-Centre Masal) today reached an understanding to unify both the parties by mid-January.

The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee, jointly led by Maoist leader Mohan Baidya and Unity-Centre Masal general secretary Narayankaji Shrestha, held at PM’s residence in Baluwatar this morning.

“There are no ideological or organisational irritants,” Shrestha told The Himalayan Times. He said his party would also convene a national conference by December 30 to get approval from the party delegates for the party’s unification with the CPN-Maoist.

As per the understanding, both the sides will debate ideological differences at the

upcoming unity convention and amicably adjust both the central committees and their sister organisations.

The Unity-Centre has been calling for dropping the Maoist thought and Prachandapath, adopted by the CPN-Maoist, from the ideology of the unified party.

The Shrestha-led party has also called for giving new name to the unified party. But it is highly likely that both the issues would be settled by the upcoming national convention of the unified party.

The CPN-Maoist came into existence after it split from the then CPN-Unity-Centre Masal in 1993 over ideological and tactical differences. Three years after its formation, the CPN-Maoist waged People’s War leading to abolition of the monarchy and holding CA polls to write republican constitution.

It may be recalled that the recently concluded national-level cadres’ meeting of the CPN-Maoist and its central committee meeting that concluded on Tuesday had given its nod to unify the party with the CPN-Unity Centre Masal and other fringe left parties.