KATHMANDU, Nov 22: Leaders and activists, mainly from the CPN-UML, supporting single identity based federalism Thursday announced the launch of a new party amid a gathering at Sorhakhutte, in the capital, on Thursday.
Th new party is named Federal Socialist Party Nepal, with a 98-member ad hoc central committee.The committee has Ashok Rai, former UML vice-chairman, as chairman, with eight vice-chairmen, a general secretary and three deputy general secretaries. [break]
The eight vice-chairmen are Bijay Subba, Durgamani Dewan, Prem Krishna Pathak, Bir Bahadur Lama, Rakam Chemjong, Hemraj Rai, Mohammad Rizwan Ansari and Gopal Thakur.
Rajendra Shrestha is general secretary, and Ajambar Rai, Radha Timalsina and Norsang Sherpa are deputy general secretaries in the committee. Likewise, Meena Gurung, Horilal Chaudhary, Karna Bahadur Budhamagar, Ram Singh Yadav and CB Nepali are named secretaries.
Dr Mangal Siddhi Manandhar heads the central advisory committee, Ranadhoj Kandangwa heads the central disciplinary committee, Raj Kumar Rai heads the central electoral committee and Sushila Shrestha heads the central auditing committee in the new party.
Members include *Majhilal Tharu Thanet, Jogilal Tharu, Ang Kaji Sherpa, Soni Lama, among others.
On October 4, the then UML vice-chairman Rai and eight other central level leaders had quit the party, vowing to form an alternative political force to champion the cause of single ethnic identity-based federalism.Later on October 14, the UML standing committee had scrapped general memberships of the ethnic leaders deserting the party.
There had been a delay in launching the party as it suffered internal contradictions on issues including the party´s ideological line.Some other noted Janajati leaders including Prithivi Subba Gurung, Kiran Gurung, Dal Bahadur Rana had opted not to quit the party, but instead carry out struggle for their cause from within the party.
*Corrected
Related:
- NC, UML defectors to launch new party
- Cross party dissidents propose Federal Socialist Party
- Ashok Rai, noted dissidents quit CPN-UML
- CPN UML formally expels Rai, 8 others
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