KATHMANDU, JAN 28 - UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday agreed to assume the post of Parliamentary Party (PP) leader at the urging of supporters within the party.
The party’s PP meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, is expected to take a
unanimous decision on the selection of Dahal as PP leader. Dahal was the
PP leader in the previous CA. Despite Dahal’s initial reluctance, party
leaders are said to have convinced him to take the post, arguing that
top party figures must lead from the front if the party is to play a
crucial role in the constitution drafting process.
Party leaders say the constitution drafting process is vital to the
peace process and Dahal, as a signatory of the Comprehensive Peace
Agreement (CPA), should be the PP leader.
“After the demise of Girirja Prasad Koirala, it is the duty of our
Chairman to complete the constitution drafting process, a vital part of
the peace process,” said Maoist leader Giriraj Mani Pokhrel. “Though we
gained third position, our agenda prevails in the CA so there is
consensus inside the party that Dahal should lead the process becoming
the PP leader.”
Earlier, Dahal had proposed the name of his close aide Krishna Bahadur
Mahara as PP leader, while senior leader Baburam Bhattarai proposed his
close aide Top Bahadur Rayamajhi’s name for the same post. The party’s
former politburo members on Monday also suggested Dahal become the
party’s PP leader. But, the party’s senior leader Baburam Bhattarai has
said that PP leadership should be handed over to second-rung leaders
while top leaders engage in the party building process.
The Maoist party has said that it would join the government only if a
national unity government is formed. Addressing the House, the Maoist
Chairman Dahal urged the NC and CPN-UML to form government.
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