UML, too, mulling over name change

At a time when internal debate within the CPN (Maoist) over the proposal to remove the tag 'Maoist' from party's name has grabbed headlines, general secretary of CPN-UML today said his party, too, is mulling over a name change.

Khanal told reporters Saturday at the UML headquarters in Balkhu that his party's name has been proposed as Nepal Communist Party. He said the upcoming 8th convention of the party to be held in Butwal early next year would take final decision on it.

Prime Minister and chairman of CPN (Maoist) Pushpa Kamal Dahal and senior leader of the party Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai on Friday said the party would soon decide on the proposal to change the name. Dahal revealed that he had made the proposal in the party, but another senior leader, Mohan Vaidya, said the party was unlike to change its name.

Meanwhile, UML general secretary Khanal said there was no possibility of unification with CPN (Maoist) at the present and described 'extremist behavior' of Maoists as a big obstacle for unification between the two communist parties.

Stating that they were in favour of having only single communist party in the country, Khanal urged Maoists to "give up politics of violence, extremism and fundamentalism" if they wished to go for a single communist parties in the country. nepalnews.com ia Oct 18 08

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