KATHMANDU: CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who has led the party consistently for more than three decades, does not appear to be in the mood to relinquish the position immediately. Dahal (70) has indicated that he will not step down as chairman for a few more years by instructing party office-bearers to include a provision in the party statute that only the central committee will be directly elected.
According to a Maoist Center office-bearer, Dahal has clearly instructed them to include a provision that only the central committee members will be elected directly. “The Chairman’s direction is to continue the existing provision,” the office-bearer said. “That is why some friends have submitted a complementary proposal on the draft statute.”
Maoist Center is busy preparing for its legislative convention scheduled for next month. Party leaders are busy preparing a draft for an amendment to the party statute.
The draft prepared by a team led by Vice Chairman Pampha Bhusal states that only the central committee will be elected by the general convention. “The Central Committee will be the highest organ of the party between the general conventions,” the draft states. “The central committee will select the Chairman and office-bearers, standing committee, politburo, and the spokesperson from amongst themselves.
However, selecting politburo members and office-bearers has been the prerogative of the chairman for the past many years.
Dahal is the only aspirant for the post of party chairman. Therefore, he is certain to be elected yet again. The draft states that office-bearers can serve in the party for two terms. If the draft is approved without change, Dahal will be the party chairman for at least two more terms.
Some party leaders raised questions about party leadership in the past as well. In the central committee meeting held in July last year, Laxman Pant, joint in charge of the party’s Diaspora Committee, said Dahal should be ready to face the election. Now, some leaders have formally registered a proposal demanding that the chairman should be directly elected. They have demanded that all office-bearers and standing committee members should also be directly elected.
Deputy General Secretary Janardan Sharma, who is also a member of the statute drafting committee, has registered the complementary proposal himself. “Office-bearers at all levels of the party organization should be directly elected,” the proposal states.
Sharma has also demanded in the proposal that the terms of at least the office-bearers and standing committee members should be fixed. Since there are no term limits for office-bearers and standing committee members, leaders are saying that they should be directly elected.
151-member central committee
As per the draft, the central committee will have 151 members. The party currently has a 300-member central committee. However, the number of office-bearers, standing committee members, and politburo members hasn’t been fixed.
This means Chairman Dahal will continue to enjoy the right to nominate party leaders to these positions.
“The party will determine the numbers on a consensus basis,” party secretary Ganesh Sah, who is also a member of the statute drafting committee, said.
However, even Maoist leaders do not believe the size of the central committee will be reduced to 151. This is because the party statute was flouted in the past as well while nominating leaders to the central committee. The number of office-bearers, standing committee members, and politburo members has not been determined.
CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal (File Photo)
