KATHMANDU: The inaugural session of the eighth general convention of the CPN-Maoist is underway at Nepal Academy Hall in Kamaladi Sunday afternoon.

Though the conference was scheduled to begin at 1 pm today, it was postponed by two hours.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-Unified Socialist Chair Madhav Kumar Nepal, Janata Samajbadi Party Chair Upendra Yadav, Rashtriya Prajatantra Party’s Kunti Shahi, and Rastirya Janamorcha’s Vice Chairman Durga Poudel, among other political leaders, have arrived to attend the inaugural session.

The Standing Committee meeting of the Maoists had on Saturday decided to transform the National Conference into a General Convention. The Maoist party decided to transform the National Conference into the 8th General Convention as per the request made by a meeting of the party’s Standing Committee.

As many as 1,600 delegates and Maoist representatives are in Kathmandu to attend the four-day convention.

A total of 1,483 representatives were elected for the convention while 148 representatives have been nominated to participate in the conference.

The conference is elect a new 199-member leadership, including 15 office bearers.

The party’s youth wing YCL has set up various reception gates in different places of Kathmandu Valley.

Party flags and banners have been placed on the conference premises at the Nepal Academy, Kamaladi.