KATHMANDU: Several senior central members, long active in the Maoist movement, have announced their departure from CPN (Maoist Centre) to join Janardan Sharma’s new political initiative.
The leaders, including Laxman Pant, Om Sharma, Sagar Pokharel, Ramhari Pudasaini, Dharmaraj Khatiwada, Ishwar Paudel, Baburam Sapkota, Dil Nishani Magar, and Pratik Pokharel, declared that the new organization, Pragatisheel Rastriya Abhiyan, Nepal, aims to unite patriotic, leftist, democratic, and progressive forces.
In a joint statement, they accused Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ of undermining party democracy through nepotism, favoritism, and power-seeking, and of eroding the movement’s historic legacy.
“We repeatedly demanded democratic practice, transparency, and restructuring within the party, but our requests were ignored. Instead, Prachanda pursued power and personal gain at the cost of the movement’s proud history,” the statement said.
The leaders also criticized the dirty unification with Madhav Nepal, alleging it steered the party in a corrupt, anti-people direction. They noted that the leadership’s focus on personal power and family interests weakened the ethical foundation of the communist movement.
Reflecting on the recent Gen-Z movement, the leaders called it a historic turning point. “While state structures were in disarray, leaders hid in offices instead of taking responsibility, betraying the people. Yet the game for power continues,” the statement read.
The Pragatisheel Rastriya Abhiyan has invited domestic and overseas patriotic, leftist, and diaspora Nepalis to unite under a new, people-centered vision and program. “It is time for a new generation to restructure the country, free from the directionless governance of old leaders who ruled for two decades,” the statement concluded.
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