By Manjima Dhakal, Kathmandu, Dec. 26: Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) has decided to change its national convention into the General Convention.

A central committee meeting being held this morning will take the final decision on the one already made by the standing committee on Saturday.

Speaking after the Standing Committee meeting on Saturday, Spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara said that the decision was taken to transform the national conference into the eighth general convention as the party was becoming increasingly more attractive. 

Eighth of its type, the general convention is taking place in Kathmandu.

The party has billed it as a ‘historic convention’ for the building of new political thought and a revolutionary party. The party is set to adopt socialism as its tactic.

Leaders of the party said that they required to adopt socialism to move according to the need of the nation.

Earlier, when they started ‘People’s War’ they followed ‘Prachandapath’ and later opted for ‘21st century democracy’ after they joined the peace process. Now, the party is taking initiative to set socialism as its upcoming political line.

Devendra Poudel, standing committee member of the party and Minister for Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), said that they had deemed the convention historic because the party has to formulate new ideology from a new angle. Poudel further said that socialist revolution would be the upcoming strategy of the party to make the party dynamic.

Hari Adhikari, central member of the party, said the convention would set the tactic of socialism from current political line of 21st century democracy, as it had already established a revolutionary system and constitution from the current ideology.
The convention will be very supportive to strengthen the organisational structure of the party, that’s why it will be historic, Adhikari said.

Ideology or leadership, what’s the priority
Maoist leaders said the first priority of the convention is ideological debate, but the convention would also focus on electing new leadership capable to handle the new political line.

Though the party has also discussed new leadership for the post of general secretary and other positions, Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, the chairperson of the party, will be the only candidate for chairperson even in this convention.

Prachanda has been an unchallenged leader for the last 32 years. He was the general secretary of the CPN (Mashal) in 1989 and he is in leadership of his party even now.

Poudel, a standing committee member, said the leadership of Prachanda for a long period was possible because he is acceptable to all.
As Poudel, Adhikari also said though the party itself had many capable leaders, Prachanda has the capacity to lead the party by bringing all leaders in one place.

Organisation’s structure
After the convention, the party is going to start the exercise of privilege even in the central committee by selecting inclusive leadership.
The party has proposed to form a 299-member central committee that will have 35 per cent representation of women, 20 per cent of youth, 15 per cent of Dalits and five per cent of Muslims.

Speaking after the Standing Committee meeting on Saturday, Spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara said that the decision was taken to transform the national conference into the eighth general convention as the party was becoming increasingly more attractive.