UML Secretariat Meets Today on Statute Changes

The CPN-UML has called a Secretariat meeting for 1 pm today (Friday). Party insiders say the main topics will be changing the party’s statute and selecting representatives for the general convention.

The party plans to amend its statute to add more office bearers and increase the size of the central committee. Right now, the statute allows 15 office bearers. In September, during the second statutory general convention in Lalitpur, the UML reduced the number of office bearers from 19 to 15, removed the standing committee, downsized the politburo, and cut the central committee from 301 to 251 members.

Chairman KP Sharma Oli now wants to revise the statute again because many leaders from his faction are seeking important positions. On the other hand, the group led by Senior Vice Chair Ishwor Pokharel who is running for party Chair plans to push for the return of the two term limit if the statute is opened for amendment.

Earlier, Oli had stopped a secretariat meeting scheduled for Monday after submitting a concept paper, as Pokharel’s faction questioned the letter of intent. The meeting was postponed for three days and has now been called just one day before the 11th general convention begins on Saturday.