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The CPN-UML Central Committee meeting has been postponed due to lack of preparations, said Dr Bhishma Adhikari, the party central office secretary.

Adhikari said the party Central Committee meeting will now take place from October 15 to 17 in Kathmandu. Earlier, the meeting was scheduled for October 13 to 15.

The UML central office in Chyasal, Lalitpur has been set on fire and vandalized during the Gen- Z movement.

Today's party secretariat meeting will decide the agenda for the Central Committee meeting, it is stated.

The 58th secretariat meeting of the CPN-UML is taking place at party chair KP Sharma Oli's residence in Gundu at 11 am today.

According to secretary of the UML central office, Bhishma Adhikari, the meeting will discuss the agenda of the upcoming central committee meeting, as well as contemporary political affairs.

The Central committee meeting is scheduled to take place on October 13-15.

The CPN-UML has empathized on exploring the political outlet to the current crisis through constitutional and democratic means. 

Issuing a statement on behalf of the central secretariat of the party today about the recent political situation in the country, UML General Secretary Shanker Pokharel said the country should be given a political outlet in accordance with the constitution and democratic measures. 

The UML has urged President Ram Chandra  Paudel to initiate meaningful dialogue and take lead in line with the spirit of the Constitution. “We urge for the constructive role of the federal parliament, judiciary, provincial assembly, provincial government and local level for the safeguarding of democracy in the critical juncture, " Pokharel said. 

The UML has called for all political parties standing for democracy, republic, peace and national integrity to come to reciprocal dialogue and build an understanding for the protection of constitutional and democratic gains. 

General Secretary Pokharel has drawn attention of all security agencies, including the Nepal Army to check criminal activities, ensure security of citizens’ lives and protect the private and public properties. 

He also demanded fair investigation into the tragic incident of September 9 and legal action against the guilty. 

Likewise, he condemned the arson, vandalism, robbery and criminal activities across the country on September 10.

The second statute general convention of CPN-UML continues today as well. 

On the third day of the general convention being held at the Sunrise Conference Center in Godavari, Lalitpur, the group suggestions on the report presented in the general convention will be tabled in today's closed session, shared UML Publicity Department Chief Rajendra Gautam.

The closed session of the general convention began at 8 am today. After the group discussion on the seven reports presented in the general convention, the group leaders, based on seven provinces, will present their feedback on the reports. 

Similarly, representatives of the Valley Special Province, various public organizations, Liaison Coordination Committee and diaspora and central bodies, and representatives of the central office and departmental structures and central bodies will also give their suggestions on the report.

Following the group feedback session, Prime Minister and party chair KP Sharma Oli will respond to them. If no agreement is reached on any issue after Chair Oli's response, the party statute will be passed through a vote, added Gautam.

A total of 2,341 participants including 2,260 delegates from across the country are taking part in the second statute general convention of the ruling party, CPN-UML that began on Friday. 

The general convention is scheduled to end today.

The Second Statute Convention of the CPN-UML commenced at the Godawari-based Sunrise Convention Center in Lalitpur. 

The three-day event is themed "Our Resolution: Building a Decisive National Force, National Destination for a Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali". 

The convention was inaugurated by Party Chair and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

Volunteers are assisting delegates and observers from the main Godawari road to the entrance of the convention center. 

The venue is decorated with both the national flags and the party banner, alongside portraits of prominent figures including Pushpa Lal Shrestha, Manmohan Adhikari, and Madan Bhandari, as well as Karl Marx, Friederich Engels, and Vladimir Lenin.

The convention will feature the presentation of various political reports and documents, along with proposals for amendments to the party’s statute.

According to the UML Publicity and Publication Department, a total of 2,341 participants are attending the event, including 2,026 representatives and 315 in the capacity of organizers.

The CPN UML has intensified preparations for its second statute convention.

The general convention to dwell on party statute is slated for September 5-7 at Godawari, Lalitpur.

Standing committee member and Publicity Department Chief Rajendra Gautam said that some of the tasks like stage management and gathering of representatives are going on smoothly.

He shared that as many as 2,349 persons, including 2, 033 representatives will be attending the conclave. Those, who were representatives to the 10th general convention of the party, are the present representatives. However, some of them have died, while some quit the party, and some others faced disciplinary action and got removed from membership list. 

As the party rule does not allow fulfilling the vacant posts, there would not be any new representatives, Gautam explained.

Similarly, Secretary at UML Central Office, Dr Bhishma Adhikari, informed that all representatives were invited to the convention via SMS on Sunday.

The party has fixed the slogan for the conclave as 'Decisive national power is our resolution: Prosperous Nepal, happy Nepali is our destination'.

 Three major documents- political, organizational and statute reports- are being printed for the discussion in the event.

The reports of the Election Commission, Discipline Commission, Account Commission and Advisory Council are also in print. 

However, the identity cards for the representatives have already been printed. The identity card can be accessed online as well.

Those entering the Sunrise Hall, venue for the convention at Godawari, need to get their cards scanned on QR code at entry point.

Welcome gate is being prepared by the members of sister organizations and local committees of the party at Satdobato, Lalitpur.

CPN-UML is holding its Parliamentary Party meeting on Monday.  

In the meeting to be held at 1 pm in Lhotse Hall of the Federal Parliament building, New Baneshwor, matters related to the budget presented in the Parliament on May 29 and contemporary situation would be discussed, Chief Whip Mahesh Kumar Bartaula informed.

The meeting to be presided over by party Chair and Parliamentary Party leader KP Sharma Oli will make in-depth discussions and deliberations from various perspectives on the budget.

In this connection, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel, General Secretary Shankar Pokharel, and Vice Chair of the National Planning Commission Dr. Shivraj Adhikari will provide analytical information, it has been learnt.  

The Secretariat meeting of the ruling CPN-UML is taking place today. 

UML's Publicity Department Chief Rajendra Gautam said that the Secretariat meeting is scheduled for 2 pm  at the party central office in Chyasal.

According to Gautam, the policies and programs unveiled by the government for the upcoming fiscal year, new budget and contemporary political issues would be discussed at the meeting.  

The ruling CPN-UML has accused former King Gyanendra Shah of still having a desire to reinstate monarchy.

During the party’s Secretariat meeting, the UML concluded that former King Gyanendra’s state was objectionable.

Making public his statement on Sunday, former King Gyanendra described the March 28 incident as the political awakening among the people.

UML Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali said that the UML has taken his statement seriously.

The UML concluded that the criminal incident occurred in Tinkune on March 28.

“The criminal incident occurred on that day. A person was burnt alive. A house was set on fire. The incident caused damage to public and private property. Media outlets were also attacked. All these are criminal activities,” Gyawali said.

CPN-UML Ishwor Pokharel senior Vice Chairman has been appointed the party's Acting Chair.  

He took charge of the party's Acting Chair with party Chair and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli leaving for Thailand today on a five-day official visit including to take part in the Sixth Summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) to be hosted by Thailand on April 4, according to UML Central Office secretary Dr Bhishma Adhikari. 

Pokharel was given the responsibilities of the Acting Chair in accordance with the party's Statute 2049 BS (amendment 2078 BS), it is said. 

Party Chair Oli will return home on April 5.

The 46th Central Secretariat meeting of the CPN-UML is taking place today.

According to UML's Publicity Department chief Rajendra Gautam, the meeting will be held to discuss the evolving political development and internal life of the party.

The meeting will be held at the UML central office in Chyasal, Lalitpur at 1 pm. 

Party chair KP Sharma Oli will preside over the meeting.

Dissatisfaction is gradually brewing up inside the ruling Nepali Congress over the performance of the coalition government led by CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli.

On one hand, CPN (Maoist Center) Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal is provoking NC leaders to break the coalition with UML, while on the other, there is increasing dissatisfaction inside the NC rank and file. A couple of factors are widening the rift between the two parties.  

First, NC leaders have openly criticized the government’s move to introduce four ordinances by delaying to call the Parliament session. Senior leader of the party Shekhar Koirala, who is currently in the United Kingdom, said that instead of calling the winter session of Parliament, the government is focusing on bringing ordinances.

I have a doubt whether the powerful government of two parties is turning into an authoritarian one, said Koirala, who has already declared his plan to run for the party president.

In the past, Koirala was one of the strong advocates of the NC-UML government, stating that it would bring stability but after six months, Koirala and leaders close to him have begun openly criticizing the government. 

Even those leaders close to NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba are criticizing some of the decisions and speeches made by Prime Minister Oli. A few days back, Prime Minister Oli said that the constitution amendment will take place in 2030 because the amendment cannot take place without majority seats in the government.

Former foreign minister and Central Working Committee member NP Saud has publicly said Oli's statement on constitution amendment, made without consulting NC, is a violation of the agreement reached between two parties while forming the new government. Similarly, NC senior leader Arjun Nara Singh KC said that relevance of the seven-point agreement between two countries has ended after Oli’s objectionable statement on constitution amendment. The statement came at a time when NC and UML were preparing to form a taskforce to work out the modality of constitution amendment. Even a leader close to Prime Minister Oli said that there is a very slim chance of constitution amendment as some forces and parties are preparing to raise the radical agenda.

Already, there is dissatisfaction inside the NC over the signing of a framework agreement on Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Leaders say though the party has stood against accepting loans under the BRI, the crux of the framework agreement is accepting loans. Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has said time and again that Nepal has denied loans under the BRI, but NC leaders are not convinced. Senior leaders of the party such as Prakash Sharan Mahat, NP Saud and scores of leaders close to Shekhar Koirala are objecting to the signing of the BRI. 

There is another point of friction, which NC leaders have not spoken publicly about but share in private conversations: the relationship with India and western countries. They say the government's mishandling of the issues related to foreign policy has sourced NC’s relationship with India and other western powers.

Especially, our relationship with India has soured after we joined UML to form a new government, plus, Foreign Minister Deuba has failed to improve ties with India, the NC leader said: after her visit to India in August, relationship between two countries and relationship between NC and India has further deteriorated, which is concerning. According to NC leaders, before his China visit, Prime Minister Oli used to heed the advice and respect the position taken by NC but after that he is gradually dominating the NC in the decision-making process. For instance, Oli heeded NC’s position of not removing Nepal Electricity Managing Director Kul Man Ghising but now he is bent on removing Ghising.

The growing dynamics inside the NC is equally responsible for the growing criticism of the government. Now, it seems that General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa is with party President Deuba and he is supporting and in many cases he is involved in some of the decisions of the government. The Shekhar Koirala faction believes that Thapa is seeking Deuba’s support for the party presidency. It seems Deuba, Shashank Koirala and Gagan Kumar Thapa are coming closer to weaken Shekhar Koirala. If that is the case, the Shekhar Koirala camp will work to topple this government, the NC leader said.

At the same time, CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal is reaching out to NC leaders, who are publicly expressing dissatisfaction over the performance of the Oli government. Dahal is urging NC leaders to make extra efforts to bring down the government. Speaking with journalists on Tuesday in Sindhupalchowk, Dahal said due to the dissatisfaction inside the NC and unpopular decisions it has taken, this government will collapse.

I cannot predict the date but I think it does not have a long life, Dahal said, due to the internal dynamics of the NC government which cannot move ahead comfortably. Dahal added that though they did not want this government to continue, they were not making any effort to topple it.  NC President Deuba, despite the differences, is in favor of the continuation of this government with a view that Oli would peacefully hand over power to him.  Dahal has conveyed the message to Deuba that the Maoists would support the NC-led government till the next elections.

The nation’s main communist party, the CPN-UML, is now dealing with internal problems. Following the expulsion of senior leader Bhim Rawal and the suspension of two female leaders, Binda Pandey and Ushakiran Timalsena, carried out under the watch of party chair KP Sharma Oli, an alarming trend of intolerance towards dissenting voices emerged, implying that the party lacks democratic culture. Rawal was removed after years of criticizing Oli, which prompted him to run for chairman of the party at the 10th convention in Chitwan. Pandey and Timalsena were suspended for voicing concerns about the party and its leadership receiving land contributions for party offices from a tainted businessman accused of tax evasion and the Lalitaniwas land scam.

A week after his dismissal, Rawal established his new patriotic but non-communist party, accusing Oli of turning the UML into a personal domain in which fealty to him is essential for life. This tendency of purging or marginalizing opponents inside the UML is not new, but it has become more prominent under Oli’s term. Notable senior officials have left the UML due to internal disagreements. Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal, both former prime ministers, quit the party to create the CPN (Unified Socialist) after years of disagreement with Oli’s leadership. Similarly, senior leader Bam Dev Gautam has removed himself from the party, claiming that it has no space for leaders like him since he, too, is a critic of Oli. These departures indicate a culture of intolerance.

Political experts claim that under Oli’s leadership, the UML has become a party controlled and dominated by the Oli supporters. Leaders such as Shankar Pokhrel, Ishwar Pokhrel, Bishnu Rimal, and Gokul Baskota are often seen attacking individuals who criticize Oli. Meanwhile, personalities like Pradip Gyawali, Yogesh Bhattarai, Yuv Raj Gyawali, and others who have demonstrated a hatred for following Oli’s lead, have been marginalized. Open discussion on party leadership choices has been restricted, increasing concerns among those who hold grudges against Oli and his staunch supporters. Following Rawal’s expulsion and the suspension of others, many UML leaders remained silent, highlighting the party’s underlying fear.

The infighting within the UML is not unique. The CPN (Maoist Center) faces a similarfaces a similar problem: almost no one can speak out against party head Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s policies or actions. Inside the Maoist party, Dahal has faced claims of marginalizing dissidents while consolidating his control as the party chair.

Former Maoist leaders Baburam Bhattarai, Mohan Baidhya Kiran, Biplav, Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal, and Top Bahadur Rayamajhi are among the leaders who left the party after falling out with Dahal.

The examples described above show Nepal’s socialist parties’ hypocrisy. Despite their dictatorial character, these parties often claim to be the advocates of democracy. The UML, for example, has often declared its support for democratic ideals in manifestos and public statements. However, the behaviors of its leaders reveal a different tale.

Rawal’s removal, together with the suppression of other dissident voices, points to this inconsistency. As Rawal pointed out in his harsh critique, Oli’s leadership has reduced the UML to a “shadow of its former self,” violating the very principles on which it was founded. The same may be argued for other communist parties, particularly the Dahal-led Maoist Centre, that have disliked opposition in parties, though they have claimed that they followed democratic norms in the nation’s polity.

Unlike the communist parties, the Nepali Congress (NC) has taken a more democratic approach to controlling internal dissent. While the NC is not as ideal as many of its staunch supporters believe, it has tolerated major disagreement inside the party without resorting to expulsions or suspensions. NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, General Secretary Gagan Thapa, and senior leader Shekhar Koirala often disagree on key matters pertaining to the party, politics, and the nation, yet the party has managed to retain a sense of tolerance of dissenting voices.

The contrast between the NC and the leftist parties underscores the need for introspection within Nepal's communist factions. To maintain credibility and cohesion, parties like the UML and Maoist Centre must cultivate a democratic culture that values dissent as an essential component of organizational health. Leaders must recognize that open debate is an opportunity to address flaws, not a threat to authority.

If the UML continues its authoritarian trajectory under Oli, it risks further fragmentation, as seen with previous high-profile defections. Similarly, the Maoist Centre must learn from these lessons and prioritize inclusivity and transparency. Only by fostering democratic values within their structures can Nepal’s political parties claim legitimacy as proponents of democracy on the national stage.

CPN-UML General Secretary Shanker Pokharel has said the party organized the awareness assembly against conspiracies misleading the country.

Addressing the program organized by the UML Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur district committees today, he made it clear that the awareness rally has been organized to knock out the unnecessary conspiracies.

The UML General Secretary urged one and all to be aware against what he called various conspiracies being hatched when the country's two large parties have joined forces to give a way out to the nation.

Stating that the UML was being attacked just because it is standing in favor of the nation and nationality, he said: "The UML is attacked from all sides. Several conspiracies are being hatched at present to finish off the UML. The time has come for the entire party rank and file to be united to remove all types of disinformation spread against the party."

General Secretary Pokharel maintained that Nepal has been included in the list of countries making economic progress when the UML Chair KP Sharma Oli is the Prime Minister. "The UML is the only party that builds the nation. The party that is capable of carrying out works to that end should be allowed to work. Only then the country will become developed," he added.

Stating that false information is being spread targeting the UML of late, he challenged those spreading such false information to carry out investigation into the topics linked to the UML.

General Secretary Pokharel said attempts are being made to defame PM KP Oli as he firmly stands against anarchy. "The UML remains in the hearts of the people and in the heart of the nation. In Nepal some people are engaged in the dirty game of hatching conspiracy over any topic. We should all be aware of such a tendency," he said, adding that false publicity has been made even when UML leaders have gone to Cambodia to participate in a program.

Stating that the UML was in favor of carrying out investigation into the cooperative fund misappropriation, centering on the case rather than an individual, he said the Rastriya Swatantra Party chairman who instead advocated for investigating an individual is himself under investigation. He expressed his objection, saying now the UML is being blamed for this.

The UML General Secretary reiterated that the UML will acknowledge all suggestions in the context of nation building.

The Supreme Court has issued a short-term interim order to the CPN-UML not to proceed with the construction of the party office building on land received on donation.

 A single bench of Justice Sunil Kumar Pokharel today issued a short-term interim order not to construct the party office building on the land donated by businessperson Min Bahadur Gurung.

The order states that the construction of the party office building on the 10 ropani 14 anna of land said to have been donated should be stopped until the interim order is discussed and resolved.

The order quotes the provisions of Sections 38 (3) and 38 (6) of the Political Party Act, 2073 BS as well as the provision of financial aid in Section 38(5) of the same Act, which talk about the conditions that need to be met for a political party to receive voluntary donation.

 The order was issued today after a preliminary hearing on the writ petition filed by advocate Dr Gyan Bahadur Basnet demanding annulment of the decision to donate land to UML. The court summoned both sides for a discussion on November 11.

It may be noted the owner of Bhatbhateni Department Company Pvt. Ltd. Min Bahadur Gurung had donated the land located in Kirtipur Municipality-2 of Kathmandu.

CPN-UML Chairperson and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Gurung had jointly laid the foundation stone for the UML headquarters building to be built on the land.

Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has said that the CPN-UML should become the decisive force in the 2027 election. Speaking at a program organized by the Madan Bhandari Foundation on Saturday, she expressed her best wishes for the UML to secure all positions including President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Chairperson of the National Assembly after the 2027 election.

Bhandari was serving as the Vice-chairperson of CPN-UML when she was elected as the President following the 2017 polls. “I sincerely hope that UML becomes the national decisive force in the country from the upcoming election. Please make it happen,” she said. “Strengthen the country’s economy by securing all important positions. This is also my best wish on the occasion of the silver jubilee of the Madan Bhandari Foundation.”

Bhandari also said UML should now produce another President. “Until UML produces another President, I have to continue being the chief guest at social forums. Besides me, other leaders have also reached important positions from UML,” she said. “But people seek me out for social forums.”

Bhandari requested UML to produce another President. “After that, I’ll be free from this duty,” she added.