KATHMANDU, Feb 23: The Nepal Communist Party (NCP) on Friday dissolved the taskforce formed to develop a modality for merger of party's lower committee and sister wings, saying that the taskforce had failed to carry out given tasks two and a half months after its formation. The remaining works of the merger would now be finalized through discussion among top leaders, leaders said.

“The secretariat itself will finalize the modality of the merger now. The decision was made in consultation with members of the taskforce,” NCP spokesperson Narayankaji Shrestha.

During an extended meeting of party's central secretariat held at Kathmandu, party chairman KP Oli and his loyalists had unilaterally announced dissolution of the taskforce, ignoring calls from a section of leaders to give a few more days. Oli had stood in favour of termination arguing that the taskforce had failed to carry out its mandated tasks within the given time. Some taskforce members including Ram Bahadur Thapa and Bishnu Poudel had backed Oli's proposal.

The disgruntled leaders, notably leaders from Madhav Nepal faction, have announced to submit an auxiliary recommendation for merger.

Following the meeting, taskforce member including Yogesh Bhattarai announced their plans to submit an auxiliary recommendation to the party's secretariat.

It has been nine months since the then CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) announced formation of NCP, but the two sides have not been able to conclude merger of the districts and local committees, especially due to wrangling among various factions.

Besides Bhattarai, Poudel Thapa, the taskforce comprises Shankar Pokharel, Barshaman Pun, Surendra Pandey, Beduram Bhusal and Lekhraj Bhatta.

Taskforce has long blamed factional wrangling over stakes in unification process for the delays in carrying out the given tasks. Party insiders say a growing rift between chairmen Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal was also hindering overall unification process. Dahal, according to his close aides, is not happy with the way Oli is trying to distance himself from legacy of the Maoist 'people's war'.

Leaders said the merger could take few more weeks as several leaders have been demanding fair share of portfolios across the party organs.

 
• ncp
 
• unification
 
• taskforce