Even after seven months since its eighth national convention, the CPN (Maoist Centre) has failed to elect the party's office bearers and complete its Standing Committee.

The party’s Central Committee meeting concluded on Thursday electing 125 politburo members and 31 alternative politburo members, who the party’s statute does not recognise, besides 15 members of its 41-strong Standing Committee.

Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal demanded more time to pick the office bearers and 26 Standing Committee members as the Central Committee meeting failed to elect them.

The meeting concluded after the 377-strong central committee authorised the party chairman to decide on the remaining members.

“Chairman Dahal demanded a few days to decide on the office bearers and complete the Standing Committee,” said Sudan Kirati, a politburo member promoted on Thursday. “I think office bearers will be decided once the ongoing probe on the finance minister concludes as that will make it easier for the chairman to allocate the party positions and government responsibilities.”

With no concrete selection criteria, Dahal had a tough time convincing the central members who demanded to know why some crucial leaders and regional representatives could not make it to the politburo. This disrupted the meeting for a few hours.

In his third attempt, Chairman Dahal came up with a new idea—adding 31 alternative politburo members so as to appease them—even if that went against the party statute.

Dahal ended the meeting promising to appoint within a few days the Standing Committee members other than the 15 former Standing Committee members who were inducted and the office bearers. The former members who retained their position include Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Dev Prasad Gurung, Girirajmani Pokhrel, Barshaman Pun, Haribol Gajurel, Shakti Basnet, Janardan Sharma, Chakrapani Khanal, Pampha Bhusal, Hitman Shakya, Devendra Poudel, Ganesh Sah and Matrika Yadav.

On Tuesday, a meeting of the former Standing Committee members had entrusted Dahal with the task of nominating remaining Central Committee members.

Wednesday’s meeting of the Central Committee was scheduled to discuss the names and the formation of the Standing Committee and the politburo, but it was deferred till Thursday, saying that “top leaders” had to attend the Parliament meeting.

Dahal, who was elected from the Central Committee formed by the convention days after its conclusion, has failed to elect office bearers and remaining members of three crucial central committees.

Dahal so far has been running the party with the counsel of former Standing Committee members whenever he needs decisions on crucial matters, but on Monday, most of the central members demanded that the party must complete its committees at the earliest.

Some central members even went on to say that ‘a party that cannot make its committees cannot make the country’.

“How can a party failing to even form its organisational structure ensure that they can develop the country?” said Sudan Kirati, a lawmaker and central member of the Maoist Centre.

Dahal was under pressure to give complete shape to all the committees—office bearers, Standing Committee and the politburo.

As per the party statute, the Maoist Centre will have 299 Central committee members. The party can nominate 15 percent more members, which makes it 343-strong. Since 10 percent of the total members could be nominated from those coming from different other parties, the party will have 377 central members. As per the statute, the party can have 25 percent of the Central Committee as alternative central members.

Only 236 central members were decided when the national convention concluded on January 2. Now the party has 377 central members and 94 alternative central members.

The chairman picked 125 politburo members and 31 alternative politburo members. He now has to pick 15 office bearers including a senior vice-chair, six vice-chairs, a general secretary, two deputy general secretaries, three secretaries and a treasurer.

For Dahal, picking the general secretary appears to be the most difficult task. While Barshaman Pun seems to be his choice, Sharma, who resigned as finance minister on Wednesday after being embroiled in a controversy, is also eying the post.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Matrika Yadav, who is considered close to Dahal, laid claim to the senior vice-chair post.

“I think Dahal might pick Krishna Bahadur Mahara, if not Sharma or Pun, as general secretary,” said Yadav, one of the members of the former Standing Committee. “Sharma and Pun have said they will accept whatever decision the chairman takes.”

Mahara is currently the party spokesperson, but he remains inactive following his disgraceful fall from the post of House Speaker over charges of sexual misconduct with a parliament staffer in 2019. He is among a handful of leaders, according to insiders, whom the party chair trusts.

For Dahal, appointing him as general secretary also is not easy. He had stepped down as Speaker after rape allegations. He, however, was acquitted by the court.

Narayan Kaji Shrestha seems to be the sole contender for the senior vice-chair post if Mahara is “adjusted” somehow, while Dev Gurung, Girirajmani Pokhrel, Haribol Gajurel, Shakti Basnet and Ganesh Sah are some of the contenders for the vice-chair posts.

“There is no alternative to Narayan Kaji as senior vice-chair,” Dahal told the meeting, according to insiders. “Matrika [Yadav]ji will oppose it outright.”

Shakti Basnet, Pampha Bhusal, Chakrapani Khanal, Lilamani Pokhrel and Devendra Poudel could be appointed deputy general secretaries or secretaries.

Chakrapani Khanal, another member of the former Standing Committee, said that nominations will be done unanimously.

“The chairman will present the list and it will be endorsed,” Khanal told the Post.