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The CPN-UML Central Committee held its last meeting today before the start of the closed-door session of the party's 11th National Congress. 

The meeting was held to discuss the agenda of the closed session. 

Opening the meeting, Chairman KP Sharma Oli said that the presence of party cadres at the inauguration ceremony of the National Congress yesterday confirmed the relevance of political parties in the country.

At the meeting, General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel presented the agenda including the election schedule, code of conduct, and current issues to be presented in the closed session.

Speaker Devaraj Ghimire has emphasized the importance of adopting people-centered parliamentary practices while also improving efficiency and professional integrity.

On the occasion of Parliament Service Day 2082, he conveyed his wishes for happiness, peace, and progress to all civil service employees at the Federal Parliament Secretariat today, encouraging all staff to enhance their efficiency and professional integrity while engaging in people-centered parliamentary practices.

Nineteen years ago, in remembrance of the establishment of Parliamentary Services through a dedicated act aimed at making parliamentary practices more effective, dignified, and professional, Mangsir 28 is celebrated annually as Parliament Service Day.

Speaker Ghimire remarked on the crucial role of the Parliamentary Service, which has been providing administrative and technical support to the Federal Parliament, the highest representative body of the state, in successfully implementing the constitution and the law-making process.

He stated, “The Parliamentary Service embodies a sacred duty that ensures the functioning of the temple of democracy, the Parliament. An impartial, professionally skilled, and procedurally transparent employee framework is essential for a dynamic Parliament. While upholding the autonomy of the Parliament, I am confident that our collective efforts will continue to render this service timely, technology-oriented, and specialized. With this conviction, I once again extend my warmest greetings to all.

Similarly, Deputy Speaker Indira Rana highlighted the importance of a collective dedication to maintain the authority of Parliament and to create an environment where governance is carried out swiftly by elected officials, as outlined in the Constitution. 

While extending best wishes on the occasion, she conveyed her warm wishes to all and remarked that in this evolving era, it is crucial for parliamentary service to evolve into a more efficient, responsive, and outcome-focused entity.

The Central Committee of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has concluded its three-day meeting in Kathmandu, endorsing 13 decisions.

According to the party, the meeting reviewed recent political developments, internal party matters, and upcoming programs. Among the decisions, the party assessed the protests that took place on Sept 8 and 9, attributing them to long-standing political, economic, and governance-related challenges. The committee stated that the incidents reflected public frustration with corruption, unemployment, politicisation of constitutional bodies, and weaknesses in state institutions.

The party reiterated its view that the country should not move towards elections without addressing underlying political issues and demands raised by the youth-led movement. It called for broader national consensus involving political forces and other stakeholders to resolve the current political situation.

On the issue of monarchy, the RPP clarified that it envisions a fully constitutional monarchy and maintained that any restoration should be based on national consensus rather than a referendum or violent means.

The meeting unanimously approved, with amendments, reports related to the party secretariat, finances, active membership distribution guidelines, and the general convention schedule. It decided to retain the proposed election-related convention timetable up to the end of Magh, while other programs will be finalised after the general election.

The party also decided to organise nationwide public dialogues and demonstrations in December and January to present its political position and to build pressure for dialogue before the general election. While expressing reservations about holding elections without resolving political issues, the RPP said it would continue to participate in the democratic process and instructed party members to proceed simultaneously with organisational work, convention preparations, and election activities.

The Central Committee welcomed the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority’s actions regarding alleged irregularities in the construction of Pokhara International Airport and called for further investigations into pending corruption cases.

The meeting noted differences of opinion within the youth movement regarding agreements reached with the government, while viewing the inclusion of constitutional amendment provisions in those agreements as positive. It reiterated its demand for constitutional amendments that reflect public sentiment on issues such as federalism, secularism, and the republican system.

The party urged the government to ensure voting arrangements for Nepalis living abroad and for inter-district voters in the upcoming elections.

The committee expressed sorrow over the loss of lives during the Bhadra protests, extended condolences to the families of those killed, wished a speedy recovery to the injured, and demanded treatment and compensation. It also expressed concern over damage to public and private property during the protests and called for timely reconstruction and compensation.

In addition, the meeting endorsed past decisions of the Central Executive Committee, set provisions related to payment of party levies for general convention representatives, and approved disciplinary action against a Madhes Province proportional lawmaker for joining the government against party directives, including a six-month suspension from party membership and removal from the party’s closed list.

The party said the decisions aim to guide its political stance, organisational activities, and preparations for upcoming elections.

Senior Vice-chair of the CPN-UML, Ishwar Pokharel, has expressed disagreement over the nomination of representatives for the party’s 11th national congress.

According to Pokharel’s secretariat, the 108 national congress representatives nominated on Friday were based on a list proposed by party chair KP Sharma Oli, to which Pokharel has raised objections.

Rajesh Rai, who heads the publicity wing aligned with Pokharel, said the senior vice-chair had serious reservations about the nominations. Rai stated that during the Secretariat meeting held a day earlier, there was an understanding that the list of 108 representatives would be finalised jointly by Chair Oli and Senior Vice-Chair Pokharel. He added that discussions were scheduled for Friday morning in line with that agreement. However, Pokharel has said the list was published unilaterally, contrary to the earlier understanding.

Pokharel, who is also a contender for the party chair, had on Friday submitted a separate list of nominees from his group, Rai said, adding that it was agreed to seek consensus between the two lists.

“The list made public today is only the one tabled earlier by the party chair,” Rai said.