Maoist politburo member and Minister for Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara said, “The meeting inducted 10 members from Unity Center-Masal and 35 from the CPN (Maoist) to form the politburo.” The meeting has included in the politburo all 35 central members of the CPN (Maoist) prior to the unification.
Similarly, the meeting has added four new faces from the previous Unity Center-Masal to the previously 11-member secretariat of the CPN (Maoist) to form the new secretariat. The new faces are Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Amik Sherchan, Lilamani Pokharel and Girirajmani Pokharel. The secretariat members from the previous CPN (Maoist) are Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prime Minister), Ram Bahadur Thapa (Defense Minister), Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai (Finance Minister), Krishna Bahadur Mahara (Minister for Information and Communication), Dev Gurung (Minister for Law, Justice and Constituent Assembly Affairs), Mohan Baidya, CP Gajurel, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Barsa Man Pun, Netra Bahadur Chand and Post Bahadur Bogati.
The meeting is yet to discuss the issue of endorsing the code of conduct for party leaders, division of responsibilities among party central committee members and formation of various party fronts.
The meeting will continue on Saturday.
Maoist central leader Matrika Yadav and recently-inducted central member Kali Bahadur Kham were conspicuously absent from the central committee meeting.
Kham, prime-accused in the Ram Hari murder case, and Yadav, who has threatened to break away from the ruling party to open a new Madhesi party, didn’t participate in the central committee meeting of the Maoist party, the first since it unified with the CPN(Unity Center-Masal) earlier this week.
A Maoist central leader preferring to remain unnamed said Yadav has gone to India for medical treatment. He refused to delve further into Yadav’s recent threat to break away from the party. “Matrika is like that….he says whatever comes to his mind….we were all surprised by his recent remarks,” he said laughing.
Maoist Center forms 125-member Politburo