Merger talks heat up: Prachanda meets Nepal and Biplav

Kathmandu, August 15: CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' recently met with CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal and General Secretary of the Nepal Communist Party Netra Bikram Chand Biplav 'C' ahead of the Standing Committee meeting.

On Thursday morning, Chairman Prachanda hosted Chairman Nepal at his private residence in Khumaltar for a meeting lasting an hour. Prachanda had previously met with Biplav on Wednesday evening. Sources indicate that Prachanda emphasized the importance of party unity during these discussions.

Prachanda’s schedule has been busy with the Standing Committee meeting approaching. He rescheduled a previous party meeting to meet Chair Nepal at his Koteshwor residence on Monday. While that meeting included some close aides, Prachanda's recent meetings with Nepal and Biplav were conducted one-on-one.

During their meeting, Biplav reportedly expressed concerns about the urgency of Prachanda’s proposal for immediate party unity. Biplav suggested that the focus should instead be on strengthening the Socialist Front, as the current atmosphere for unity is not favorable. He emphasized that achieving stability within one's own party should be prioritized before pursuing unity.

General Secretary Biplav declined to comment on the meeting, with his aide stating, “He (General Secretary) is in a meeting and cannot talk right now.”

Prachanda's push for immediate unity with Madhav Nepal has faced resistance. Nepal has shown willingness for functional unity but noted that some within his party are not ready for a formal merger, making immediate unity seem premature.

Both leaders are under pressure to stabilize their parties, with suggestions from their colleagues that hasty unification could lead to further complications. A leader from the Unified Socialist Party remarked, “While unifying on shared principles is positive, rushing into unity to mask weaknesses may cause additional problems.”

Chairman Prachanda will address the Standing Committee meeting, scheduled for 1 pm on Thursday. The meeting is expected to feature significant criticism of Prachanda’s leadership style. Some leaders argue that his approach has led to the party’s gradual decline, and view his push for unity with communist factions as a strategic maneuver to deflect criticism amid growing calls for a change in leadership.

Having led the party for 35 years, Prachanda faces a challenging response to the intense internal criticism. Historically, he has marginalized dissenting voices within the party. It remains to be seen how party leaders will react to his latest efforts to frame the unity issue as a solution to current disputes.