The Maoists, Unified Socialists and other small leftist groups have united. Ten leftist parties have united and declared themselves the 'Nepali Communist Party'. The 'Unity General Convention' held at Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu on Wednesday has elected Pushpa Kamal Dahal as the party coordinator and Madhav Kumar Nepal as the co-coordinator. Earlier, Dahal was the coordinator of the Maoists and the chairman of the Nepal Unified Socialists.

The party, which is scheduled to hold a general convention within the next six months, will have about 1,000 central members. After the unification, the Maoists have dropped the word 'Maoism', the election symbol 'scythe and hammer inside a circle', and the Socialists have dropped the election symbol 'pen'. The election symbol of the newly formed party has been taken from the 'five-pointed star' of the Jana Samajwadi Party, which Subhash Raj Kafle had registered with the Election Commission.

The alternative name for the party was CPN (Socialist). Secretariat member Barshaman Pun said that it was decided to keep the 'Nepali Communist Party' after consulting the Election Commission. 'We have already applied for registration of the party's name,' he said. 'In the past, when the Nepal Communist Party was formed, the Election Commission had suggested that it would be correct to write Nepali Communist Party. We have chosen the name keeping that suggestion in mind.'

A source from the Commission said that the representatives of the newly formed party consulted the legal department. ‘There are about a dozen and a half parties registered with the commission with the name Nepal Communist. In cases where the names are identical, names cannot be given,’ the source said. Pun claimed that the name of the newly formed party was not registered with the commission.

‘Nepal Communist Party’ was formed when the Maoists and UML united in Jestha 2075. But the Supreme Court had separated the UML and Maoists in Falgun 2077, stating that the party with that name had already been registered with the commission in the name of Rishi Kattel. Currently, the ‘Nepal Communist Party’ is registered with the commission in the name of Lok Narayan Subedi.

Unity for personal gain by ignoring the desires, dreams and needs of the youth is meaningless, this unity is nothing but selfishness: Baburam Bhattarai, former vice-chairman of the Maoists The main party that came together was the Maoists formed in 2051, while the Samajwadi Party was formed by splitting from the UML in 2078. There are other small parties with a former Maoist background. The then Maoist secretariat members Janardan Sharma and Ram Karki, Samajwadi Party general secretary Ghanshyam Bhusal, vice president Ghanendra Basnet, and standing committee member Ram Kumari Jhankri did not come together. Sharma and Bhusal have announced a broad left unity campaign, while Jhankri is preparing to return to UML.

Former vice-chairman of the Maoists, Baburam Bhattarai, said that this unity is for ‘selfishness’ and that it will not provide a way out for the country. ‘Unity for personal gain by ignoring the desires, dreams and needs of the general public, especially the youth, is meaningless,’ he said, ‘this unity is nothing but selfishness.’

Coordinator Dahal said that his responsibility has increased after the unity. ‘The 10 constituents have given me a huge burden and responsibility as the coordinator,’ he said, ‘now I have the confidence that we can face the challenges of the country by being united.’ He said that the new party will solve the country’s problems in a new way.

10 Left components have given me a big responsibility as the coordinator, and I believe that now we can face the challenges of the country together: Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Coordinator, Nepali Communist Party He said that he would prepare the basis for a new national unity and national independence. ‘The Gen-G movement created a special situation. Such a big national crisis had never arisen in the history of Nepal. The responsibility of saving the country from the crisis lies with the parties,’ he said, ‘Communists have been patriotic. Now the Communists will have to unite and launch a new national campaign to stop foreign maneuvers. That has been started from here.’

He said that he would move forward by correcting past mistakes. ‘No one can stop us from becoming the number one party. Now we are number one,’ Dahal said. He also said that he would establish a method and hand over the leadership at the upcoming general convention.

Co-coordinator Madhav Kumar Nepal said that he formed a new party after reviewing past mistakes. ‘The ordeal has begun. We must be able to convince. It is not a party of the old form,’ he said at the unity meeting, ‘We have freed ourselves from the shortcomings of the old parties, reviewed and improved them, and given them newness, and have become a leader of transformation, and have formed a party with a revolutionary character.’

Leader Jhalanath Khanal, who had held talks with UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli until a day ago, has joined the unity with the Maoists. ‘If we do not correct our mistakes and weaknesses, the same situation may arise again.’ Let us think in a new way,’ Khanal said, ‘Let us move forward by finding a common ground for all communists. Let one communist stop abusing another. Let us fight at the policy level.’ He had reached the conclusion that he would participate in the unity process after holding talks with Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Wednesday morning. He is in third place in the newly formed party.

Leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha said that unity carries a historical responsibility. ‘The unified party will have to complete the Nepal Socialist Revolution,’ he said, ‘We have to make a commitment to establish socialism with Nepali characteristics. This goal must not only be announced, but also the main strategy must be fulfilled.’ He said that the main strategy will be fulfilled by preparing prosperity with social justice.

23-point commitment

Presenting the party’s 23-point commitment at the unity declaration meeting, leader Dev Gurung said that the number of provincial representatives would be reduced to strengthen federalism. ‘The constitution will be protected, federalism will be strengthened, and the number of provincial people’s representatives will be reduced,’ he said. Other commitments include forming a high-level property investigation commission and taking action against the guilty, integrating women, Dalits, Madhesis, Muslims, people’s representatives, and minorities into the mainstream and protecting their rights.

The commitment states that the party will be committed to fulfilling the aspirations of Gen-G and reorganizing the party by correcting past mistakes and weaknesses. Similarly, the party is committed to making necessary methods to establish internal democracy in the party, involving all leaders in production and labor work, strictly implementing communist conduct, and adopting a simple lifestyle.

Leader Beduram Bhusal presented the draft statute. The statute has the main objectives of involving at least 30 percent youth and women, not allowing a single person to hold the same position more than twice, practicing internal democracy, and building socialism with Nepali characteristics.