NEPAL: CPN (Revolutionary Maoist) And CPN (Majority) Forge Party Unity

CPN (Revolutionary Maoist) And CPN (Majority) Forge Party Unity

 

Kathmandu, April 7, 2023: The CPN (Revolutionary Maoist) led by Mohan Baidya and the CPN (Majority) led by Dharmendra Bastola forged a party unity on Friday.

An official announcement will be made on May 1 coinciding with the International Workers’ Day, according to Hemanta Prakash Oli, a leader of the CPN (Majority).

The two Communist parties had agreed in principle for the party unity some eight months ago.

The parties have formed a 12-member coordination committee including six members from each side to conclude the remaining tasks of the unification process.

From the CPN (Revolutionary Maoist), the party’s general secretary Mohan Baidya, CP Gajurel, Hari Bhakta Kandel, Pari Thapa, Indra Mohan Sigdel and Ram Singh Shrees are members of the committee.

Likewise, party general secretary Dharmendra Bastola, Hemanta Prakash Oli, Deepak Chalaune, Guna Raj Lohani, Krishna Dhamala and Devkala Adhikari are members of the committee from the CPN (Majority).

The then CPN (Maoist) that had emerged as the largest political force through the first Constituent Assembly elections had subsequently witnessed a series of splits.

A group of leaders led by Mohan Baidya left the CPN (Maoist) in 2012 to form a separate party. Then, soon after the promulgation of the constitution in 2015, Baburam Bhattarai left the Maoist party to form Naya Shakti Party. Leaders including Ram Bahadur Thapa, Dev Gurung, Pampha Bhusal and Matrika Yadav among others rejoined the mother party. Thapa, however, defected to CPN-UML later.

A key leader of the Baidya-led party Netra Bikram Chand split it to form the Communist Party of Nepal. The underground outfit came to the political mainstream following an agreement with the government. Again Dharmendra Bastola split the Chand-led party to form the CPN (Majority).

After years of separation, the Baidya-led party and Bastola’s party have now decided to reunite.