The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) (Nepali: नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी (एकीकृत-समाजवादी), romanized: Nēpāla kamyuniṣṭa pārṭī (Ēkīkr̥ta-Samājavādī)), abbreviated as CPN (Unified Socialist) is a political party in Nepal led by former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal. As of July 2023, the party leads Socialist Front and is an important ally in the governing coalition.[8]
Former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal is the chairman of the party and former Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal serves as the senior leader.[9][10][11] The party was officially registered at the Election Commission, Nepal on 18 August 2021 while it received its certificate of registration on 25 August when the Election Commission verified its application with signature of more than twenty percent in both central committee and federal parliamentary party.[12][13][14][15]
The President of Nepal, on the recommendation of the council of ministers issued second amendment on political parties related act on 18 August 2021 relaxing the requirements to split parties with 20 percent or more members of the Parliamentary Party and the Central Committee of the political party.[17][18]
This same amendment opened the way to formalize the splits caused due to the dispute between two factions of Janata Samajbadi Party, Nepal and CPN(UML) respectively. The CPN(UML) faction led by Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal which had a long dispute with CPN(UML) chairman KP Sharma Oli had applied to register their party by the name ''CPN (Unified Socialist)'' with the Election Commission.[19] However, the Election Commission requested him not to register under a preregistered name by including some adjectives.[20]
At the time of the launch of the party, leaders claimed to have 31 members in the two national houses of parliament including 23 from House of Representatives and 8 from National Assembly.[21] A Central Committee with 95 members was announced as well.[21][22] However, many politicians of the mother party CPN(UML) had not finalised their decision yet including party less leader Bam Dev Gautam.[23] Madhav Kumar Nepal was announced to act as the coordinator of the party.[24]
On the same day (8th Bhadra), Nepal arranged a meeting where he presented the party's doctrine and announced that People's Multiparty Democracy would be their guiding philosophy.[28][29]
Party Authentication
Party office of CPN (Unified Socialist)
Following the registration, the Election Commission had summoned CPN (Unified Socialist) on 9th Bhadra for authentication. As per the new provision the party had to present signatures 20% of either the central committee or the parliamentary party to authenticate the registration.[30] The party was able to meet the threshold with 55 out of 205 members of the central committee and 9 out of 33 of the National Assembly and 24 out of 121 of House of Representatives.[31]
Among these members, Pradeep Nepal, a central committee member who was earlier close to Oli, was present during signature session.[32] The signature of Jhalanath Khanal who signed it from Delhi was counted although the Election Commission had rejected his previous request to accept such signatures as he had been in Delhi for his kidney transplant.[33][34] However, the Election Commission rejected to accept the signatures of Som Prasad Pandey, Maya Gyawali, Tulsa Thapa and Sharada Devi Bhatta as they had not signed the earlier application for party registration.[35] Letter a petition was filed at Supreme Court which allowed them to join the new party.
Organization development and first local election
The party election just eight months after the party formation. Even though the period of organization development was short, party caders got elected unopposed as chairperson of Kaike and Chharka Tangsong rural municipalities of Dolpa district which remained the highest won unopposed by any party.[36] While the party went to election without alliance in Madhesh Province, the party won six local levels out of which four were from Rautahat, the home district of party chair Madhav Kumar Nepal. The party gave close contest to Nepali Congress. Here, the party won five municipalities and one rural municipality. The party won mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan city and Hetauda Sub-metropolitan city destroying red fort of CPN (UML).[37][38][clarification needed] Although the party obtained support of alliance in numerous places, it was able to bag only twenty local levels signing that the party organization had still not developed as expected.[39]
As a whole, the party won 20 heads, 24 deputy heads, 190 ward chairs and 753 ward members with a total of 986 seats throughout the country. The party went most successful in Madhesh Province where it bagged 6 heads, 5 deputy heads, 80 ward chairs and 310 ward members with a total of 401 seats and that too without any pre electoral alliance contributing to 40% of total national wins.[40]
Party merger and integration
A number of parties have merged with CPN (Unified Socialist) since its formation:
The 34 member Standing Committee of the Central Political Bureau has been formed.[47]
Politburo
An 86-member politburo has been formed after the formation of the standing committee and central committee.[47]
Central Committee
The central committee had a total of 355 members.[47]
Leadership
The party has one chairperson, seven deputy chairpersons, one General secretary, four Deputy general secretary and six Secretary. Altogether there are 18 party portfolio holders. Jhalanath Khanal is senior leader and Pradeep Nepal is the leader of the party and are kept at position two and three respectively.[48][49][50]
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