KATHMANDU: The central committee meeting of the Unified CPN-Maoist kicked off today at the party's new secretariat at Paris Danda in Koteshwor.

Party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal inaugurated the new secretariat building before the central committee meeting began.

At the start of the meeting, Prachanda read his 19-page political document for almost two hours in the presence of central committee members and 37-member advisory committee of the party. Following Prachanda's speech, 14 different groups were formed -- 13 state committees and one of veteran leaders of the advisory committee -- to discuss the document.

Veteran leaders in the advisory committee, including Krishna Dash Shrestha, Bhakta Bahadur Shrestha, Khampa Singh Kunwar and Shakti Lamsal, formed a separate group. Other members of the advisory committee have been adjusted in the groups of state committees.

"Group discussion on chairman's political document began today. The discussions lasted till 6:30 pm," party spokesperson Dina Nath Sharma said. Sharma said discussions would continue till 2 pm tomorrow. After that, group leaders will make comments on the political report.

"Chairman Prachanda, during his speech, urged the central committee to make their comments by Friday and conclude the meeting after discussing other agendas by Saturday," a politburo member said.

Other agendas for discussions include national convention of the party, which has not been held for the last 18 years, and creating multiple posts in party's organisational structure.

Meanwhile, some politburo members said central committee member Kali Bahadur Kham 'Bibidh', who has been accused of the murder of Koteshwor-based businessman Ram Hari Shrestha, was not present in the meeting. A politburo member said Kham had been suspended from the central committee.

Another politburo member said they had felt the central committee meeting had become too large to manage. "The politburo had discussed the issue. Now it is up to the central committee to decide," he added.

Many politburo members had recommended that the central committee be converted into national council, politburo into central committee, secretariat into politburo and headquarters into secretariat or standing committee.