KATHMANDU, April 21: A central committee meeting of the Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) held at its central office, Balkhu today called on restoring peace and consolidating the democratic rights of the people.

“UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, who chaired the meeting, said that peace and democracy were the key agenda of the party,” a UML press statement issued after the meeting that lasted more than three hours said.

Today’s meeting was called to sort out some of the problems besetting the party. But the meeting failed to touch on these issues.

“We did not discuss the issues causing a misunderstanding among the party leaders,” said Kashi Nath Adhikari, secretary at the party central office. Adhikari said that the party would settle the controversial issues at another meeting scheduled for tomorrow.

Just a few days ago, the party’s standing committee meeting ended inconclusively after the party’s leaders failed to reach an agreement over a memorandum handed over by 52 party workers to general secretary Nepal. The memorandum had accused the party leadership of being undemocratic.
At today’s meeting, Nepal called for the effective launch of a nationwide agitation, which the four major political parties, including the UML, had decided to organise from early May. Today’s meeting decided to include the CPN-Maoist in their agitation.

The CPN-UML has formed a three-member negotiating team comprising standing committee members Jhalnath Khanal, Ishwor Pokharel and Yub Raj Gyawali. They are to hold talks with the Maoists and prepare a code of conduct.

It has also constituted a seven-member task force to monitor the code of conduct. It includes Bhim Rawal, Rajendra Pandey, Pradeep Gyawali, Hem Raj Rai, Shanta Manabi, Ram Chandra Jha and Prakash Jwala.

The UML meeting also extended full support to the on-going agitation of the students, which began as a protest against the price hike of POL products. But the agitation has taken an ugly turn with students affiliated to the different political parties resorting to vandalism and destruction of both public and private property.

The government on Sunday reduced to the price of some of the POL products in view of the declining oil prices in the international market.