No disagreement on power sharing for party unification: Dahal

CHITWAN: CPN Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal has dismissed rumours doing rounds about a possible disagreement between CPN-UML and CPM MC on power sharing for party unification.

Addressing a press meet organised by Press Centre, Chitwan at Bharatpur Airport, on Wednesday, Dahal asked all present to not carry any misconception in this regard.

Stating that both parties would be equally represented, he said, "Chairs of both the parties will nominate names from their respective parties, then form a committee with capable candidates. There is no dispute on the idea that the process would be carried out with mutual respect and principle of equal representation."

He said that there have been unnecessary rumours floating in the media as he further requested everyone to disregard such unfounded information.

Dahal informed that the election symbol to be used after the unification has not been decided yet, and that discussions are on-going in this regard. He clarified that there are no disagreements, only decisions yet to be taken between the two parties.

He said that the date of announcing party unification would be decided after both the party chairs have a meeting. Saying that it would be difficult to announce the unification on April 22, which was the initial plan, he added, "It might not be possible to announce the unification on the pre-planned date, however, efforts are still on. Despite the delay, it would not exceed the month of Baishakh."

Likewise, Dahal informed that serious discussions have begun since Tuesday on the report presented by the two taskforces, further adding that the taskforces have accorded responsibility to the chairs of the two parties to decide on various issues of party unification.

In this regard, Dahal further shared that the taskforces have given in writing through the report that discussions on — how to present the 'people's war' in the unified party's policy, how to define people's movement, decision on the election symbol, how and on what basis to organise the central, provincial and district committees under the unification modality — will be carried out by the two chairs. Dahal said that related discussions on these issues are on going.

He said the Prime Minister's working techniques have also been a talking point. He said that coordination is required on processes related to appointment of secretaries and that too was discussed at the meeting.

Meanwhile, on a different note, Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa who accompanied Dahal, shared that the process of bringing an end to the syndicate transport system had begun.

He expressed his commitment that syndicate system would cease to exist in all sectors including the transportation sector. Responding to a query regarding whether transport entrepreneurs would disrupt transportation, Minister Thapa said, "No one can stop transportation system from functioning."