Maoist CC allocates functions, Matrika left out

Party organization committee -- Mohan Baidya

Constitution drafting committee -- Dr Baburam Bhattarai

Parliamentary affairs, dialogue committee -- Narayan Kaji Shrestha

Matrika Yadav removed as head of ´Mithila state´

KATHMANDU, Jan 21: A Central Committee (CC) meeting of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) concluded on Wednesday by distributing various responsibilities among party leaders. [break]

The CC has chosen Mohan Baidya as head of party´ organization committee. Baidya heads 11-member committee. Other members in the committee are Narayan Kaji Shrestha, CP Gajurel, Netra Bikram Chand, Barsa Man Pun, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Dinanath Sharma, Kul Bahadur KC, Lilamani Pokharel, Nanda Kishor Pun and Shakti Basnet.

Another senior leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai has got the responsibility to prepare a draft of new constitution. A 16-member constitution drafting committee has been formed under the chairmanship of Dr Bhattarai.

Similarly, Shrestha has got major responsibilities – head of the party´s parliamentary affairs, head of a mechanism that observes the government´s functioning and the chief of dialogue committee. The dialogue committee has been formed to initiate negotiation with various other leftist political parties for unification.

The unified party took shape after previous CPN (Maoist) and CPN (Unity Center-Masal) merged recently.

Interestingly, the meeting hasn´t provided any responsibility to party central leader Matrika Yadav, who remained absent during the week-long meeting. Instead, the meeting has replaced Yadav by Biswanath Sah as the in-charge of party´s ´Mithila state´.

Yadav had warned of breaking away from the party in the past.

A party source said the CC, under pressure from Dr Bhattarai, has promoted Dinanath Sharma as secretariat member. Sharma is the new spokesperson of the party.

Post Bahadur Bogati has become the parliamentary party´s chief whip while Jayapuri Gharti has become whip of party´s committee

The meeting also inducted Krishna Bhujel in its Central Committee and increased the number to 138.

Similarly, besides replacing Yadav with Sah as ´Mithila´ state committee chief, the CC has selected new people as well reshuffled existing ones to head various state committees.

Narayan Sharma has become the in-charge for ´Limbuwan´ state, Shital Kumar for ´Kochila´, Indra Mohan Sigdel for ´Kirant´, Bhim Prasad Gautam for ´Bhojpura´, Sapkota for ´Tamuwan´, Hitman Shakya for ´Newa´, Hemanta Prakash Oli for ´Magrat´, Sharibhakta Kandel for ´Tharuwan´, Khadga Bahadur Biswakarma for ´Bheri-Karnali´ and Dharmendra Bastola for ´Seti-Mahakali´.

The party has coined a new slogan of the party – "National Awareness and Development Campaign".

The meeting has decided to dissolve the party´s Joint Revolutionary Peoples´ Councils and change them into Revolutionary Fronts. The Party Secretariat will form various fronts soon.

Similarly, the meeting has formed a five-member committee to form various people´s organizations of the party.

ghanashyam@myrepublica.com