Ex-Nepal PM Prachanda no longer chairman of CPN-MC: Party leader

Kathmandu: Nepal's former prime minister Pushpakamal Dahal 'Prachanda' is no longer the chairman of the CPN (Maoist Centre), a party leader said on Friday, after the Maoist party dissolved its central committee.

The development comes against the backdrop of violent protests by a youth-led Gen Z group against the government of now-ousted prime minister K P Sharma Oli over corruption and a ban on social media.

“The purification and restructuring of the party will be done honouring the spirit of the Gen Z movement,” said a statement by the party after a full meeting of the central committee.

“During the meeting, Prachanda announced that he is no longer the chairman of the party,” said Sunil Manandhar, a member of the dissolved central committee of the party.

Headed by Prachanda, the central committee of the Maoist party had 700 members.

Manandhar said the party has formed a general convention committee under Prachanda's convenership to convene a special general convention in mid-December.

“The party has also decided to initiate the process of party unification with various factions of the Maoist party and other parties having similar ideology.” CPN-Maoist Centre also welcomed the interim government’s decision to conduct a general election on March 5 and decided to play a constructive role to make the parliamentary election a success, said the statement.

It also decided to form a powerful committee to investigate the assets of the party’s leaders. Controlling corruption was one of the key demands of the Gen Z protesters.

Efforts will also be made to represent Gen Z youths at all levels of the party, according to the statement.

The September 8-9 Gen Z movement led to the formation of an interim government led by Sushila Karki, 73, ending days of political uncertainty in the Himalayan nation.