AGENCIES

KATHMANDU THE UNIFIED Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)’s seventh extended meeting concluded in the Capital on Saturday evening with the announcement of party’s first general convention and endorsement of Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s political document.

Speaking at the plenum’s concluding session, Dahal announced that the Central Committee (CC) was dissolved and the general convention of the party would be convened by mid-February 2013.

With the CC dissolution, the party’s Politburo and Standing Committee also have been automatically dissolved.

The chairman, vice chairmen and secretaries, however, would stay put in their respective posts, and they would constitute the central office.

The outgoing Central Committee would transform into the General Convention Organising Committee and take up the responsibility of general convention. Likewise, the state and district committees would transform into the convention organising committees in their level.

While synthesising the comments of 27 speakers, who represented 14 different committees, on his political report, Dahal dubbed the plenum as a meeting of struggle, transformation, unity and victory, and assured all to take up their opinions. He said the political document would get a full shape through the general convention and the revolution would be completed.

It is likely that the party’s first conclave would be held on January 28 to February 2.

Dahal said that the number of members would be increased in the General Convention Organising Committee by taking up more representatives from Dalit, Muslim, Madhesi and backward communities along with women and senior comrades.

Addressing the concluding session, Dahal announced to reshuffle the responsibilities of party leaders and cadres as the measure to make the party organisation stronger. Now, the leaders and cadres working in villages would be sent to the cities and the vice versa.

He said that the leadership of and responsibilities in the party’s state committees would also be changed.

Likewise, the personal secretaries of senior leaders would be changed, and the changes would be made in the central secretariat.

In what seems to be a response to his criticism for a “changed and lavish lifestyle of proletariat leader”, the Maoist supremo announced to leave the Lazimpat-based mansion as soon as an alternative arrangement was made and not to use the SUVs that he currently is entertaining.

According to him, he would accept the facilities that the state would provide him as a former prime minister.

He further said that the party’s properties, currently under the chairman and vice chairmen, would be handed over to the to-be-set-up accounts and financial committees.

He revealed his plan to set up a school to train the party leaders and cadres.

Party Vice Chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha floated Dahal’s announcements as proposal, which the plenum unanimously, the plenum’s publicity subcommittee said in a bulletin.

About 5000 leaders and cadres had participated in the extended meeting.

The party is scheduled to publicise its decision formally organising a press conference at its headquarters in Peris Danda at 3 pm on Sunday.