There appears to be more criticism of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal from within his party than from his coalition partners. The meeting also comes at a time when the NC's Girija Prasad Koiral has stepped up his attack on the Maoists.

The danger is that a party that is wracked by internal dissent may find it difficult to lead the government.

The party hardliners, led by Mohan Baidya, wants a strong commitment to a people's republic while the moderates want a tilt towards liberal democracy. The moderates are currently in the government.

The Maoists central committee meeting, that began on Friday, went into recess for a day as the debate for people's republic vs democratic republic continued.The party leaders have been quite vocal in recent days, advocating a need to head towards people's republic instead of a democratic republic.

"The meeting discussed the issues of Maoists army, socio-economic restructuring and functioning of the coalition government," Krishna Bahadur Mahara, the government spokesperson and central committee member told reporters.The meeting is expected to decide the future direction and the organisational structure of the party. Now that Dahal has become the PM, the party is looking for a chairperson.

The decision regarding the new chairperson needs to be taken in a national convention. Although the party statute has provision of convention to be held in every five years, the last convention was held 17 years ago.

Mohan Baidya, who has been vying for the post, has already started his preparation. Baidya was even qouted saying that he would resign his position as a CA member to gear up for the job.

In an interview with Nepali Times, one of the CA members Sarala Regmi, who defeated Home Minister Bamdeb Gautam told that the party doesn't want a Bihari form of republic. Regmi said: "The war was for liberation of the oppressed and the poor. We fought to establish a people's republic. The battle field may have changed but he fight still continues."

Dewan Rai