The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, which split a year ago, are headed for reunification. The CPN-M has put forward two proposals for unity and sources say the UCPN (M) is inclined to agree to them. The faction led by Mohan Baidya had split off after the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly. The main party is said to be close to agreement on the CPN-M’s rejection of a parliamentary system of government and to adopt the agenda of building on a popular revolt based on the ‘people war’.
Baburam Bhattarai and Narayan Kaji Shrestha have been trying to get the factions reunited and those demands were put forward by Baidya, Ram Bahadur Thapa, and Deb Gurung. A formal proposal for unity was made by Krishna Bahadur Mahara. A source quoted Pushpa Kamal Dahal as telling Baidya: “The parliamentary system doesn’t work, it does not favour us and we are willing to consider an agreement on a united agenda for a popular revolt.”
Shrestha says efforts for unity have been underway ever since the Hetauda Convention, but there are still some issues to be ironed out. He told Rajdhani: “We are moving ahead based on Comrade Kiran’s acceptance of our proposal for re-unification.”
Sources say Bhattarai is still not convinced about abandoning the parliamentary system completely and Dahal has taken the responsibility of convincing him. The reunification drive has been spurred by the need felt by both factions not to split the Maoist vote in elections and the CPN-M has not yet registered itself as a separate party. Both sides also want to agree on the basic points of the new constitution after uniting and to transform the relation between the judiciary and the executive. Dahal is said to have agreed with Baidya that a bourgeoisie republic is not acceptable and that the party should be prepared to set up a ‘communist republic’. The two parties also want to work towards uniting all the communist parties in Nepal and transform the country into a two-party state that can move ahead towards stability and prosperity.
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