UCPN-M splits‚ CPN‚ Maoist born

TIKA R PRADHAN

KATHMANDU: The radical faction of Unified CPN- Maoist, which had established a separate structure within the party, finally announced a vertical split today after years of ideological infighting.

The national cadres gathering of the radical faction held at the hall of Sherpa Sewa Kendra, Bouddha, today decided to split from the UCPN-M.

The new party will be called Communist Party of Nepal, Maoist and Mohan Baidhya, formerly the senior UCPN-M Vice-chairman, who led the radical faction, has been named the chairman of CPN, Maoist.

Ram Bahadur Thapa and CP Gajurel will hold the same position as they did previously with UCPN-M — General Secretary and Secretary respectively.

They new party has claimed that as many as 45 central committee members have left the UCPN-M. The gathering of the National Cadres’ Convention has entrusted the central committee members to finalise the portfolios of leaders and allocation of work division among the leaders.

However, other portfolios will be declared after the first meeting scheduled for Wednesday. A press meet will be organised on Tuesday afternoon to formally announce the new party.

Concluding the three-day national gathering, CPN, Maoist Chairman Mohan Baidhya said they will be shouldering a new responsibility as a new history has just begun.

He, however, said there was no need not take action against UCPN-M Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai as they had severed all ties with them.

Baidhya further said his party would not close the door for talks on unification with the UCPN-M if they wished to transform. He said they were forced to sever ties because neo-revisionism had dogged the party leadership.

The gathering endorsed Baidhya’s political proposal that the nation should find a way out with a round-table conference involving all sides and formation of a national consensus government.

CPN, M will adopt the party’s line as directed by the extended meeting of the UCPN-M held at Palungtar — urban revolt based on the decade-long people’s war.

Earlier, the standing committee meeting of the establishment faction of UCPN-M had concluded that there was no point in urging the radical faction for dialogue as Baidhya had informed them that there was no use of holding talks.