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The 43rd Memorial Day of the first elected Prime Minister, BP Koirala, is being celebrated today by organizing various programs across the country, recalling BP contributions to Nepal's political, literary and social sectors.

Born on Bhadra 24, 1971 BS, Koirala passed away on Shrawan 6, 2039 BS.

The founder of the Nepali Congress, BP Koirala, had also established his fame as a proponent of the principles of 'nationality, democracy and socialism' and 'national reconciliation'.

Koirala became the first elected Prime Minister of Nepal in Jestha 2016 BS after the parliamentary elections of 2015 BS.

He has also contributed significantly to the field of Nepali literature. A pioneer of psychological realism in Nepali literature, Koirala has to his credit one and a half dozen works including 'Tin Ghumti', 'Modi Aayin', 'Hitler Ra Yehudi', 'Sumnima' and 'Narendradai' among others.

During his premiership, BP pushed forward the land reforms program of abolition of the birta system and the notion that the tillers should own the land.

On Poush 1, 2017 BS, after the popularly-elected government was overthrown by then King, Koirala and other leaders were imprisoned in the Singha durbar. A month later, he was imprisoned in Sundarijal jail along with other leaders.

Koirala, who was released from prison for health reasons in 2025 BS, lived in exile in India for eight years. After analyzing that nationality weakened while in exile and fighting for the restoration of democracy, he returned to Nepal with the policy of national unity and reconciliation on 16 Poush, 2033 BS.

The Sundarijal Prison, where the Prime Minister, Speaker of the Parliament and Ministers of the first elected government were imprisoned, has been transformed into the BP Museum. The museum shares a collection of important things from BP's life. In addition to the important materials of BP's life, the tanker used in the revolution of 2007 BS, the plane of Nepal Airlines Corporation, which was hijacked by the Nepali Congress to raise funds for the revolution in 2029, are also kept in the museum.

On the occasion of BP Memorial Day, Nepali Congress, sister organizations and BP Museum Management Committee will organize different programs, Chief Secretary of the NC Central Office, Krishna Prasad Paudel told the RSS.

Likewise, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has organized a program to distribute the BP Koirala National Prize, BP Museum's Archeological Officer Bhisma Baskota said.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is preparing to lead the CPN-UML for a third consecutive term, a move not uncommon in communist parties. To facilitate this, the party is set to amend its statute at the upcoming statute convention next month. The proposed amendment would remove the two-term limit and the 70-year age cap for the party leadership. The rationale is straightforward: Oli is already 74, and party insiders argue there is no other leader capable of steering the party through the current challenging situation.

“In the seventh general convention, I myself had proposed the 70-year age limit, but the context of the party and the country has changed entirely,” Oli told the UML Central Committee on Monday. His push for a third term is not without precedent. Madhav Kumar Nepal, now leading a separate party, served as the UML's executive general secretary for 15 years, from 1993 to 2008. Still, within UML, there is no clear or consistent policy regarding age or term limits for top leadership roles.

Oli’s supporters insist he must remain at the helm for at least five more years, arguing that the party faces a monumental challenge in becoming the largest political force in the 2027 elections. Within the UML, Oli continues to project himself as the undisputed leader, and is determined not to allow the rise of any rival faction. According to leaders close to him, Oli has repeatedly made it clear that he will not settle for being the party's second-in-command.

Oli has also consistently warned against the formation of factions. In the ongoing Central Committee meeting, Oli cautioned leaders against acting as “spokesperson” for former president Bidya Devi Bhandari, as speculation grows about her potential entry into party politics. Among UML’s senior leadership, figures such as Ishwar Pokhrel, Yubaraj Gyawali, Astha Laxmi Shakya, Ram Bahadur Thapa, Surendra Pandey, Shankar Pokhrel, and Pradeep Gyawali remain influential. Of these, only Pokhrel and Pandey are seen as sympathetic to Bhandari.

Oli first became UML chairperson in 2015 after defeating Madhav Kumar Nepal, and won again in 2021, decisively beating Bhim Rawal, despite his aim for a unanimous endorsement. Following disagreements with Oli, Nepal left UML to form the CPN (Unified Socialist), while Rawal also exited the party. Within Nepal’s communist parties, long-term leadership is not uncommon. CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has led his party since the 1980s without holding intra-party elections and has indicated that he intends to remain in power indefinitely.

Dahal’s key rivals, Baburam Bhattarai and Mohan Baidya, have already departed from the Maoist party. Although Janardhan Sharma has emerged as a potential challenger, he has yet to pose a serious threat to Dahal’s leadership. Meanwhile, CPN (Unified Socialist) Chair Nepal has refused to step down, despite ongoing corruption cases filed against him by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority.

UML, however, has traditionally operated differently from the Maoists and other fringe parties. Since 1990, it has held regular intra-party elections to choose its leadership, the last of which was in 2021 that re-elected Oli. To win a third term, Oli will once again need to secure internal support.

The recent public statement by former President Bhandari announcing her return to active politics has sparked criticism of Oli’s third-term ambition. Oli maintains that he deserves another term, citing significant progress in party organization. He told the Central Committee that ordinary party membership had increased by 28 percent under his leadership. Moreover, he emphasized the absence of ideological or policy disputes within the party and called on all members to work collectively to position UML as the decisive political force in 2027.

Bhandari’s re-entry into party politics could pose a serious challenge to Oli’s dominance. However, Oli has publicly stated that a former head of state should not return to active politics, arguing that doing so would undermine the dignity of the presidential office. Referring to leaders close to Bhandari, he accused them of deliberately trying to create discord within the party. Oli is aware that Bhandari’s political engagement could lead to the emergence of a strong rival faction, potentially challenging his leadership at the upcoming general convention. In recent months, Bhandari has been quietly working to consolidate her influence within the party. Nevertheless, Oli continues to enjoy a firm grip over the party, with dissenting voices largely subdued.

CPN-UML Chairman and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has urged Central Committee members to strengthen the party's internal unity.

Speaking at the ninth Central Committee meeting of the party that began today, Chair Oli stressed that the entire party line should be united as there was no ideological and policy-level dispute in the party.  

The party membership has increased by 139,000 (28 percent) in the recent period, thereby making the party organization stronger, he informed. 

Chair Oli called on party's central members to transform the party as a decisive force of the country, shared UML Central Publicity Department Chief, Rajendra Gautam. 

"There is no confrontation among us but we should be aware of possible efforts of some elements intending to create dispute and division," Chair Oli reminded. The Central Committee members were asked to put forth their views in the meeting. 

According to him, the opponents could not compete with UML ideology and performance.  

Leader Gautam shared that the discussion would also be held about the meeting between Chair Oli and former President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Sunday.

Vice-Chairperson Bishnu Prasad Paudel would present a statute amendment proposal while General Secretary an organizational report in the two-day meeting. 

Similarly, the meeting would discuss the managerial preparation of the upcoming Statute Convention.

China's Premier Li Qiang announced construction had begun on what will be the world's largest hydropower dam, on the eastern rim of the Tibetan Plateau, at an estimated cost of at least $170 billion, the official Xinhua news agency said, Reuters reported.

Commencement of the hydropower project, China's most ambitious since the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze, was seized by Chinese markets as proof of economic stimulus, sending stock prices and bond yields higher on Monday.

Made up of five cascade hydropower stations with the capacity to produce 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, equal to the amount of electricity consumed by Britain last year, the dam will be located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo. A section of the river tumbles 2,000 metres (6,561 feet) in a span of 50km (31 miles), offering huge hydropower potential, according to Reuters.