The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has directed all its lower committees to complete unification by August 21. Issuing a special circular signed by party co-chairmen Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Thursday, NCP General Secretary Bishnu Poudel has asked all eight task forces formed for the purpose to submit their report by August 10.

The party has given the specific deadline for the task forces to complete the merger process. The new circular has called on provincial and district committees to complete unification process by August 21. Likewise, sister organisations have been asked to complete their unifications and convene their first meeting by August 31. The party has already announced that it would reach out to the people soon after its lower committees complete the unification process.

In the circular issued on May 31, the NCP had instructed all 22 sister wings to draft their respective statutes and submit proposals to the central leadership within 15 days.

The merger process had been delayed due to the lack of clear guidance. With the party’s  statute and regulations in place, the NCP is now expediting the unification of all its lower committees and sister wings. At the time of the merger announcement of the two parties on May 17, top NCP leaders had promised unification of all the lower committees within three months.

Unification of trade unions—General Federation of Nepali Trade Unions and All Nepal Trade Union Federation remains a big challenge for the NCP.

The leaders of trade unions claim it will take at least a year for them to complete the unification process as their constituents are registered separately.