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Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Nepal, Saad Nasser Abdullah Abu Haimed, paid a farewell call on President Ram Chandra Paudel at the Office of the President, Sheetal Niwas today.

During the meeting, they discussed various issues concerning the relationship between Nepal and Saudi Arabia as well as mutual interests and concerns, according to the Office of the President.

President Paudel thanked the Saudi ambassador for successfully completing his tenure.

Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal has said holding elections successfully and creating a strong base for good governance is the first priority of the government.

Addressing the Lumbini Province-level Security Seminar held in Bhairahawa today, Home Minister Aryal mentioned that the government has been carrying out activities focusing on the elections and good governance. 

He suggested the provincial government prepare its security plan as per the election security plan passed by the Central Security Committee and implement it. 

"Political parties have taken looted arms and absconded prisoners as security challenges. We have recovered most of the weapons through special operation as well as most of the prisoners have also returned back to prisons," opined the Home Minister. 

Similarly, Chief Minister of Lumbini Province, Chet Narayan Acharya, laid emphasis on the need of boosting the morale of security personnel and civil servants. 

The Lumbini province government has been moving ahead by making a strategic plan to maintain good governance, he argued.

The seminar was jointly organized by the Federal Home Ministry and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law of Lumbini province government.

A total of 64 political parties have been registered so far for the elections to the House of Representatives slated for March 5.

According to the Election Commission, political parties registered for the HoR elections reached 64 after eight political parties were registered on Monday alone. 

The EC has set November 26 as the deadline for political parties willing to participate in the HoR elections to be registered for this purpose. 

A total of 12 political parties were registered on November 17, five on November 18, eight on November 19, eight on November 20, seven on November 21 and 16 on November 23. 

Nagarik Shakti Nepal, Nagarik Unmukti Party, Miteri Party Nepal, Pragatisheel Samajbadi Party, Nepal Communist Party (Maoist), Tarai-Madhes Loktantrik Party, Rastriya Sammunati Party, Janadesh Party, Nepal were registered on Monday. 

A total of 135 political parties have been registered in the EC, applications should be submitted again till November 26 for election purposes, added the EC.

CPN-UML, the second-largest party in the dissolved House of Representatives, is undergoing an intense internal conflict, though it is far less vocal than the turmoil inside the Nepali Congress. Almost all senior leaders believe that Chairman KP Sharma Oli should step down for the sake of the party, arguing that his image has been tarnished by the killing of 19 students during the Sept 8 GenZ protest, when he was prime minister.

While some leaders have openly demanded his resignation, others remain hesitant, fearing that if Oli wins the party leadership next month, they could face the same fate as the many leaders who were sidelined after Oli became the UML chairman in 2015.

Senior leaders such as Ishwar Pokhrel, Surendra Pandey and Astha Laxmi Shakya have publicly stated that Oli should not contest the leadership election. Despite this, Oli is preparing to seek unanimous endorsement as party chair at the general convention scheduled for Dec 13-14 in Kathmandu. Many leaders worry that he could manipulate the process of selecting convention representatives to secure his victory.

In the 2021 convention, Bhim Rawal had challenged Oli, but was ultimately pushed out of UML. Rawal has now joined the Nepali Communist Party formed by former Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Dahal, having dropped the Maoist label, is now working to consolidate fringe communist groups under his leadership. Likewise, after a prolonged rivalry with Oli, Madhav Kumar Nepal split from UML to form his own party, CPN (Unified Socialist). Now he too has joined the Nepal Communist Party.

UML insiders say defeating Oli at the convention remains a herculean task, given his strong organizational grip. To maintain control, Oli even blocked the possible entry of former President Bidya Devi Bhandari by stripping her of party membership without any compelling justification. Bhandari, however, continues to oppose Oli from outside the party and is strongly backing senior leader Ishwar Pokhrel for party chair. Many senior leaders are also gravitating toward Pokhrel, and his faction is expected to restore Bhandari’s membership if they secure the leadership.

At a recent party meeting, Pokhrel informed Oli directly that he intends to run for the UML leadership. He is preparing to issue a public appeal to convention representatives in the coming days. Senior leaders Astha Laxmi Shakya, Yubaraj Gyawali, Surendra Pandey, Yogesh Bhattarai and Gokarna Bista have already rallied behind him. Meanwhile, senior leader Bishnu Poudel, who served as finance minister under Oli, has adopted a neutral stance, remaining silent on the leadership dispute despite his strong organizational influence across the country.

The conflict, however, is not limited to leadership. Many top leaders are dissatisfied with the party’s policy direction following the GenZ movement. They oppose Oli’s decision to form the National Volunteers Force, which they fear could trigger internal confrontations. Despite objections from key office bearers, Oli moved ahead with the plan and began coordinating directly with Mahesh Basnet, bypassing party structures.

These leaders argue the party cannot reject elections outright while focusing solely on restoring Parliament. They believe Oli is inflaming political tensions rather than helping stabilize the national environment, which has led to clashes between UML cadres and GenZ activists. 

Leaders worry that his refusal to acknowledge the concerns of young people could damage the party’s electoral prospects. Several senior leaders say that although the violence on Sept 8–9 was unprecedented, the party must recognize the underlying demands of the youth, particularly the need to curb corruption and improve governance. 

Rejecting the September protests will alienate the youth, one senior official said on condition of anonymity. The leader added that Oli now appears to be using the party’s institutional strength to shield himself from potential action over his role in those events, a move they warn will harm UML in the long run.

With the Nepali Congress already committing to elections, UML finds itself increasingly isolated. The Nepali Communist Party led by Dahal and other fringe parties have also decided to contest the polls on 5 March 2026. 

As the general convention approaches, Oli’s position among office bearers is weakening. Only a handful of senior leaders, including Pradeep Gyawali, Shankar Pokhrel, Bishnu Rimal and Prithvi Subba Gurung, continue to back him strongly, while most others either openly criticize him or support a change in leadership.