Eight communist parties, including the Maoists and the Unified Socialists (S), have decided to unify the parties with Maoist outgoing chairman (current coordinator) Pushpa Kamal Dahal as the coordinator and S chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal as the co-coordinator. S senior leader and negotiation team coordinator Beduram Bhusal also confirmed this.

According to the 17-point unity agreement signed on Sunday evening, the new party, whose election symbol will be the five-pointed star and whose name will be CPN Samajwadi, will advance socialist ideas. ‘It has been agreed that Prachandaji will be the coordinator and Madhav Nepal will be the co-coordinator,’ said Bhusal. ‘The unity will be announced at the unity national conference to be held on Kartik 19.’ According to Bhusal, after the announcement of the party unity, the parties that have already registered will submit an application for unity to the Election Commission. ‘After the party registration, we will start preparing for the election,’ said Bhusal.

It is said that after the unification of the eight parties, a central committee of about 1,000 people will be formed, including the central members of all the parties. In addition, it has been decided to hold a unity national conference on Kartik 19 with the participation of the central committees of all the eight parties. The conference itself has agreed to declare party unity, pass the manifesto and interim statute, and form a central committee.

Although the Maoists decided to hold a special general convention by mid-Mansir, the parties have now agreed to hold a unity general convention within 6 months. ‘The unification of the broad communist movement is today’s objective necessity to fulfill the goals of the socialist revolution by defending the federal democratic republic, protecting national independence, good governance, social justice and economic and social transformation,’ the agreement states. ‘The guiding principle of the party will be Marxism-Leninism. The program of the Nepali revolution will be scientific socialism with Nepali characteristics.’

The eight parties have also agreed to hold a peaceful movement on Sunday to build the foundation of socialism. ‘The foundation of socialism will be prepared by defending the achievements of the capitalist democratic revolution, protecting national independence, good governance, social justice, social and economic prosperity and transformation,’ the agreement states. ‘The form of the movement will basically be peaceful. All fronts, including the streets, parliament and government, as needed, will be the fronts of the movement, depending on the situation.’

It has been agreed that the operation of the new party will be in accordance with the principle of democratic centralism based on a collective leadership system. The eight parties have agreed to ‘continue to discuss the views that can be reconciled on ideological and political issues and to reach a conclusion through the national general convention’, it is stated in the agreement. It is said that a task force will be formed to prepare documents including political reports and programs after the announcement of the party unification.