Baidya faction proposes collective leadership

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, June 18: The dissident faction of the UCPN (Maoist) led by Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya has proposed that the organizational structure of their party be based on collective leadership.
Presenting the party´s statute in the conclave that began from Saturday, party leader Dev Gurung proposed that the new party be headed by chairman with vice chairman, general secretary and secretary as other office bearers of the party.
As per the proposed statute, the party would have a standing committee, politburo, central committee (CC) and advisory committee in the party´s organization. The advisory committee and politburo will comprise one-third of the central committee members while the standing committee will have one-third of the politburo members.

“It is clear that the new party will have a collective leadership structure. The gathering will determine the size of such leadership,” said party politburo member Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma.

Similarly, leaders are also mulling a four-member leadership structure comprising chairman, vice-chairman, general secretary and secretary. They are also discussing a seven member leadership structure, including two vice chairmen.

“We [CC members] have suggested that our existing five-member steering committee be transformed into the new leadership structure of the party,” said a CC member.

At present, Baidya, Ram Bahadur Thapa, CP Gajurel, Dev Gurung and Netra Bikram Chand are in the steering committee.

In the meantime, the party´s proposed statute and political paper is being discussed among 20 groups. Around 3,000 party cadres have attended the national conclave, which is likely to conclude on Monday announcing formation of a new party. Gurung has proposed that the party be named Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist- Revolutionary). Gurung has proposed to hold general convention of the new party in February.

Meanwhile, a standing committee meeting of the party establishment faction has asked the dissident faction to endorse the proposal for party unity at the ongoing national gathering.

"We have asked them to endorse the proposal for party unity," said party secretary Post Bahadur Bogati.

Biswakarma said the national gathering will endorse the proposal for unity not with the establishment faction but with other "revolutionary" forces.

Sonam Sathi´s walk out of the gathering

Sonam Sathi´s group, which comprises half-a-dozen central committee members, walked out of the meeting hall after the Baidya faction refused to accept existence of "ideological groups" during the second day of the national gathering. His group walked out of the hall saying they would join the gathering again after holding an internal discussion.

“It should not be taken as a boycott. We are holding discussions on the issue with our comrades,” said Sonam Sathi.

According to sources, the Baidya faction leaders had proposed that the political document be endorsed unanimously while Sonam Sathi proposed to pass the document through majority votes. Sonam Sathi had batted for holding general convention of the party while the Baidya faction leaders were in favor of announcing a new party through the ongoing gathering.

Sathi argued that they cannot unanimously endorse the political document - which is mostly related to the people´s war-- as they had not participated in the people´s war. Around a dozen representatives and half a dozen CC members from Sonam Sathi´s group, including Ishwari Bhattarai, Kishan Sharma and Ghan Shyam Sharma Paudyal had attended the gathering.

Sonam Sathi has proposed a new model for revolution in place of new democratic revolution [which Chinese model].