KATHMANDU, May 27: With nearly three dozen leaders from the erstwhile CPN (Maoist Center) vying for a spot in the standing committee, the Nepal Communist Party is seeing further delays in giving full shape to its top committee.
A total of 19 seats in the 45-member standing committee continue to remain vacant even a week after the merger of the two communist parties, owing to the failure of the Maoist faction to finalize names. In addition to the 45 members, the standing committee will have some invited members also.
Party leaders said NCP Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has already sanctioned 12 names, while six remain to be finalized from over a dozen candidates all of whom are exerting huge pressure on the leadership.
NCP standing committee gets full shape, discontent in upper ran...
A leader close to Dahal said Dahal is preparing to finalize the names of all candidates by Monday.
"The names would then be presented for endorsement during the meeting of the unified party's central secretariat," said the leader.
Besides Dahal, Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Ram Bahadur Thapa, who are in the NCP's nine-member central secretariat, Dev Gurung, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Giriraj Mani Pokharel, Barsha Man Pun, Matrika Yadav, Janardan Sharma, Agni Sapkota Haribol Gajurel, Pampha Bhusal and Shakti Basnet are almost certain to be included in the standing committee.
The most probable candidates for the remaining six out of the quota of 19 allocated to the Maoists include Lilamani Pokharel, Mani Thapa, Devendra Poudel, Chandra Prasad Khanal, Kul Prasad KC, Ram Karki, Lekhraj Bhatta, Tilak Pariyar and Ramchandra Jha.
Maoist Chair Dahal is consulting various leaders before finalizing the standing committee names, in order to quell growing discontent in the Maoist faction, it is stated. He has come under fire for failing to ensure proportionate representation for women and the marginalized communities, an idea championed by the party.
Last week, more than 200 leaders including around 40 politburo members from the erstwhile Maoist Center submitted a memorandum to the party leadership citing reservations over the party's pick for the central committee.
