KATHMANDU: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said that progressive forces must win majority of seats in the upcoming Constituent Assembly (CA) election to make the pro-people forces victorious.

Addressing the party’s extended meeting at Khanna Garment in Balkumari, Lalitpur, Friday, Chairman Dahal said the CA election was an issue of life and death for the party.

Claiming that conspiracies were rife to foil the CA election from different sides, the UCPN (Maoist) Chairman stressed for robust intra-party unity to foil the anti-poll activities.

Dahal also added that there was no option to taking to the streets by taking the people together if conspiracies were hatched against the CA poll.

Likewise, leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai said his decision to quit the post of Vice Chairman was to establish an organizational system, not to create havoc in the party. He also stressed for unity of the pro-people forces to foil conspiracies against
CA election and the CA election should be made a success through people’s mobilization.

Similarly, party Vice-Chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha said the extended meeting would be effective to mobilize the party’s entire rank and file for the upcoming CA election.

He also claimed that the UCPN (Maoist) can never become a parliamentary party. “People have doubted if we are like UML and NC. That should be addressed immediately,” he urged the party leaders.

The extended meeting would last until 21 July.

KATHMANDU: The extended meeting of the UCPN (Maoist) has started today at Khanna Garment, Balkumari of Lalitpur district from today.

Around 500 leaders and cadres including the central office bearers, central members, central advisers, heads of different sister organizations of the party, district coordinators and others are taking part in the meeting to finalize the crucial issues pertaining to portfolio divisions and organizational structure.

Party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda is scheduled to submit an organizational report and a separate report on party’s preparations for the upcoming Constituent Assembly election.

The UCPN (Maoist) has called the extended meeting after the Vice-Chairman Dr. Baburam Bhattarai decided to quit his post in the central committee meeting few days ago.

KATHMANDU: The UCPN (Maoist) has decided to call an extended meeting for July 19 to discuss the party portfolio divisions as the ongoing central committee failed to reach an understanding on the Nepal’s largest political parties, mostly dominated by former rebel leaders.

Party General Secretary Posta Bahadur Bogati proposed to summon the meeting for July 19.

The Maoist party has taken a new turn after the resignation of party vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai on Saturday.

According to party spokesperson Agni Prasad Sapkota, the CC meeting agreed to summon an extended meeting realizing the need of going through a new process for developing new organizational structure of the party.

Party office-bearers, former standing committee members, bureau in-charges and state coordinators attended the meeting and agreed to for an extended meeting.

Party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said the July 19 meeting would resolve disputes concerning the organizational issues and take the party’s image to a new height, according to Sapkota.

Although the party’s Hetauda convention had come up with a new course of action, the party felt the necessity of giving a new structure to the organization, spokesperson Sapkota added.

Similarly, party Vice Chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai reasoned that his announcement to resign from the post was to prevent the party from plunging into a parliamentary trap. Post was not important in the Communist party, he said, adding his decision was to maintain the image of Communism in the party, said Sapkota quoting Dr Bhattarai.

KATHMANDU: In a bid to finalize the appointments in crucial posts in the party, the central committee meeting of the UCPN-Maoist is being held today as well.

The meeting called for Thursday was postponed citing lack of preparations. But, leaders said that row over appointments in party vice-chairman, general secretary and secretaries has been visible apparently further deepening the crisis in the party.

The meeting is said to discuss various reports including the one endorsed by the Hetauda General Convention of the party.

KATHMANDU: Failing to sort out the thorniest issue of giving a full shape to the party’s central committee, the UCPN (Maoist) has formed a panel to receive people’s voices to know the leaders’ liking among the people.

Party leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who is also regarded as party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda’s political successor, would lead such panel. Many say that this step is to quash the dissenting voices and solace the many wannabes in the party’s central committee.

Giriraj Mani Pokhrel, Devendra Poudel, Janardan Sharma, Hisila Yami and Rekha Sharma are the members of the panel.

The central committee meeting of the UCPN (Maoist) held on Sunday also decided to hold mass meetings and leaders’ training programs nationwide to keep the cadres ready for the upcoming CA elections. The programs would continue till May-mid.

After the meeting, party’s spokesperson Agni Prasad Sapkota, such mass meetings would be held in Dharke of Dhading district, Baglung, Gulariya, Itahari and Sarlahi.

KATHMANDU: The office bearers meeting of the UCPN-Maoist asked the government to declare the date of CA polls without any delay.

The meeting held at the residence of party Chairman Psuhpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda reiterated its stance to hold the fresh CA elections by June third week as agreed earlier by major political parties.

General Secretary Posta Bahadur Bogati said a meeting of the high-level political committee has been called for Friday to discuss the same issue among the major political parties’ leaders.

The meeting also discussed the name of possible candidates to be included in the 399-member central committee. The next meeting to be held on Monday will finalize the names of the leaders to be included in the CC.

KATHMANDU: The office-bearer meeting of the UCPN (Maoist) is underway at the party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda’s residence in Lazimpat.

The meeting held after party’s Madhesis leaders’ huge share in the party is considered crucial. Earlier, Maoist leaders from southern plain have submitted a memo to Prachanda demanding their community’s due position in all levels of the party.

The meeting is also expected to discuss the ways to downsize the proposed 399-member jumbo central committee, it is learnt.

Similarly, the meeting would also discuss the upcoming CA polls and alliance with like-minded political forces in the polls as announced earlier.

KATHMANDU: Giving a sense of election fever, three CPN-Maoist leaders have today defected the party to join the UCPN (Maoist).

Central leader Krishna Dhowj Khadka, Rekha Sharma and Kumar Dahal have joined the UCPN (Maoist) amid a function today at the UCPN (Maoist)’s central office, Paris Danda.

Khadka and Sharma are couple and remained in jail for long during the insurgency period. However, the couple is often criticized for the flip-flop characters.

Khadka is the former Chairman of Maoist student union’s during the insurgency period.

Earlier, the three leaders had issued a statement calling all to take part in the CA elections. However, the CPN-Maoist, where they were loyal to, has announced to boycott the upcoming CA election.

Meanwhile, founder of the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Urmila Sah today quit the party to join the Bijay Kumar Gachhadar-led Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Loktantrik).

DANG: UCPN (Maoist) leader Lokendra Bistamagar has admitted of corruption cases in the party from local to central levels.

“It is true that some of our leaders from central to local levels have made a huge amount of property,” Bistamagar said at a press conference in palpa today.

Bistamagar is also a member of the panel formed by the UCPN (Maoist) to probe into the property details of the party leaders.

“Local-level leaders are more involved in money making than that of central level. The party will take actions to them,” Biistamagar said.

The party leaders having no property during the insurgency period now have turned millionaire, he added.

KATHMANDU: Beside government pledge to provide Rs 6 million to the horrendous Badarmude victims, the former rebel party UCPN (Maoist) today decided to extend Rs 6 million to the victims from the party’s coffer.

A meeting of the party’s top leaders held today took a decision to that end after some disgruntled persons came heavily upon the UCPN (Maoist) for neglecting the victims’ pleas.

After the meeting, UCPN (Maoist) leader Amik Sherchan said the party would dole out Rs 6 million from the party’s coffer that is saved from the party’s recently held seventh national convention. The UCPN (Maoist) had collected Rs 5,000 each from nearly 3500 national convention representatives.

A total of 38 persons had died while over 70 had sustained injuries after the former rebels planted an ambush targeting a bus.