More than eight months after the party conducted its national convention, the CPN (Maoist Centre) is gearing up to give full shape to the party committees.

A Standing Committee meeting of the party held on Wednesday has decided to give full shape to all the committees on Thursday.

“We have almost readied the names of appointees for all the committees including office bearers,” said Krishna Bahadur Mahara, spokesperson of the party. “The party will endorse the list on Thursday.”

The Maoist party was struggling to fill the committee positions ever since the eighth national convention, which elected only around half of the Central Committee. Wednesday’s Standing Committee meeting finalised all the appointees for the 341-member Central Committee, 125-member politburo and 43-member Standing Committee.

According to sources, the Standing Committee includes Hitraj Pande, Ram Karki, Kali Bahadur Malla, Khagaraj Bhatta, Jayapuri Gharti, Onsari Gharti, Shashi Shrestha, Purna Kumari Subedi, Anjana Bishwakarma, Yashoda Subedi Gurung, Amrita Thapa, Kamala Rokka, Rekha Sharma, Urmila Aryal, Sita Pokhrel, Narayan Dahal, Maheshwar Gahatraj, Hakikullah Khan, Kul Prasad KC, Ganeshman Pun, Prahlad Budhathoki, Jokh Bahadur Mahara and Bishwanath Sah.

Fifteen top leaders of the party are already on the Standing Committee.

Finance Minister Janardan Sharma and former finance minister Barshaman Pun have been eying the only post of general secretary, which is the second most powerful position in the party.

“On Thursday morning the chairman himself will announce names for office bearers including a general secretary,” said Khagaraj Bhatta, a leader of the party. “I think Dahal will pick someone else other than Sharma and Pun for general secretary.”

Three office bearers have already been decided—Dahal as party chair, Narayan Kaji Shrestha as senior vice-chair, and Krishna Bahadur Mahara as one of the vice-chairs.

Until now, there is a tacit understanding among senior Maoist leaders to have a maximum of 15 leaders as office bearers. But Bhatta hinted that the number could increase.

“Since the party statute has not specified the number of office bearers, there is a possibility of accommodating all major leaders as office bearers,” said Bhatta, who was present at the meeting as an invitee on Wednesday.