A Maoist central leader said, “Although Baidya won’t replace Chairman Dahal, he will act as de facto chairman and take over all of Dahal’s responsibilities.”
He said the party took the decision so that a single party leader wouldn’t have more than one responsibility. Following Dahal’s elevation to the post of prime minister in June, Baidya had been informally looking after the party’s organization. However, the party hadn’t formally decided that Baidya would take over all of Dahal’s responsibilities in the party.
The meeting also reshuffled the party responsibilities of seven central leaders. Party secretariat member Post Bahadur Bogati has become the party’s chief whip while Dina Nath Sharma becomes party spokesperson, replacing central leader and Minister for Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara.
Similarly, the party has replaced the chiefs of six state committees with new faces. Central leader Dharmendra Bastola has replaced Lekhraj Bhatta (who is also Labor Minister) as chief of the Seti-Mahakali state committee and Haribhakta Kandel has replaced Shakti Lamsal, who has been given a job at the Prime Minister’s Office, as chief of the Tharuwan state committee.
PM Oli working again at cabinet reshuffle
Similarly, Indra Mohan Sigdel has become chief of the Kirant state committee in place of Gopal Khumbu, and Chandra Prakash Khanal has become chief of Bhojpura state committee in place of Post Bahadur Bogati. Likewise Matrika Yadav has become chief of the Mithila state committee and CP Gajurel has been given responsibility for Prawas [those domiciled abroad] and the International Bureau.
Similarly, Netra Bikram Chand has become chief of party’s sister organizations.
“On the issue of the party’s People’s Council, currently headed by Dr Baburam Bhattarai, the party will soon select a new face,” said central leader Devendra Poudel.
A majority of the new faces including Bastola, Sigdel, Kandel, Khanal, Chand and Gajurel are close to Baidya. They had strongly supported Baidya’s dissent document registered during the Maoist National Cadres’ Assembly held in Bhaktapur the last week of November.
The party has decided to form separate committees to settle the distribution of party responsibilities at local levels. The meeting has freed all party leaders who are in the government from all party responsibilities.
The party is yet to finalize the Code of Conduct prepared by party secretariat member Bogati.
“All the central members are almost agreed on the Code of Conduct. There are only a few technical issues left to settle,” said Central leader Poudel.
