Pokhrel objects to UML congress representative nominations
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.
TU’s 51st convocation set for Dec 25
Tribhuvan University (TU) has announced that its 51st convocation ceremony will be held on Dec 25.
The Office of the Controller of Examinations, Balkhu, said in a notice that the convocation will take place on Thursday, Dec 25 at Dasharath Stadium.
Students participating in the ceremony are required to enter the venue from 9:00 am.
RPP central committee approves 13 decisions
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.
Nepal GoodWeave Foundation elects new committee
The Nepal GoodWeave Foundation has elected a new working committee under the leadership of Ubaraj Bhandari during its 30th annual general meeting and 15th convention held in Kathmandu.
According to the organization, the newly elected committee includes Balram Gurung as vice-chairperson, Kiran Thapa as general secretary, and Kalpana Timilsina as treasurer. Committee members are Atmaram Chapagain, Shirjana GC, Chitra Bahadur Basnet, Chitra Bahadur Basnet, Anju Shrestha and Amir Bhattarai.
Senior advocate and founding chairperson of the Nepal GoodWeave Foundation, Binod Bahadur Karki, presented certificates to the newly elected committee members. Karki said the organization, which was launched as the Rugmark Foundation by Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, has rescued, educated and reunited more than 5,000 child workers from Nepal’s carpet industry.
The organization stated that it will continue its efforts to eliminate child labour from the carpet industry and promote child rights. It has been implementing programmes focused on the rescue, education, training and rehabilitation of children engaged in carpet-related labour.
A documentary titled “Dreams Revived” was also screened at the program. The film depicts the experiences of children rescued from carpet weaving and later supported through education and housing. Individuals and organizations contributing to the foundation’s work were also honoured.



