KATHMANDU: A major unification among Nepal’s leftist forces was announced on Wednesday, forming a new party named the “Nepali Communist Party.”

The unification ceremony was held at Bhrikutimandap, where leaders from several communist factions — including the CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN (Unified Socialist), Nepal Samajwadi Party, Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal, Communist Party of Nepal, CPN (Maoist Samajwadi), and CPN (Samyabadi) — formally declared their merger.

Top leaders such as Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Bamdev Gautam, Mahendra Raya Yadav, and Chiran Pun attended the ceremony, alongside hundreds of cadres and supporters.

The newly formed party has adopted Marxism–Leninism as its guiding ideology and announced “Scientific Socialism with Nepali Characteristics” as its political program.

The party’s election symbol will be a five-pointed star, unveiled during the event.

According to senior leader Pramesh Hamal, a member of the unity coordination committee, the merger aims to strengthen Nepal’s communist movement by advancing good governance, social justice, and economic transformation.

He said the unity was essential to protect the achievements of the democratic and people’s revolutions and to lay the foundation for socialism.

The parties have agreed to hold a National Unity Convention within six months to formalize the integration.

Their central committees will be adjusted based on mutual understanding, featuring coordinators and co-coordinators at all levels — from central to ward.

The unified party’s leadership will operate under the principle of collective leadership and democratic centralism, ensuring all major organizational and structural decisions are made through consensus.

See the unity ceremony in 10 photos: