The Tuesday central committee meeting ended with the decision to hold the national conference on November 6-9. The Maoists spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara said the meeting was deferred due to Dashain and Tihar. "It has nothing to do with the debate. Now, the national conference will decide party's future action plans and strategies," he said.

As the majority of central committee members are in favour of people's republic, they wanted the issue to be finalised in the meeting itself. But party chairman and PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal pressed to hold a national conference to decide on the issue.

The Maoists have already made it clear that a people's republic is the ultimate goal but the party leadership is divided on how to establish it.

Party hardliner Mohan Baidya presented a separate political report in the meeting which contradicts with Dahal's view.

When Baidya was still in custody in India two years ago , the Maoists meeting in Chunbang had decided to establish a federal democratic republic, resulting in the signing of the 12-point agreements and subsequent successful April uprising.

After the success in CA election, a majority in the Maoists are pushing the idea of a people's republic. However, it is not yet not known what kind of political system will be adopted once a people's republic is established.

Dewan Rai