KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 25
CPN-UML leaders, who offered their suggestions on the three political documents to be discussed in the party's statute convention, have said that the 70-year retirement age and two-term limitation for those working in executive bodies should be retained in the party statute.
Chief of UML Publicity Department Yogesh Bhattarai told mediapersons after the Central Committee meeting today that party leaders were for giving more space to youths in all party committees, and making the party more inclusive by inducting more women, Dalit, Madhesi, Janajati, and oppressed groups and communities.
They also told party leaders that the party had charted the political course up to the 2006 political movement and constitution making process on the basis of party's ideology of people's multi-party democracy, and now it should strive to rectify flawed cultural multi-party practices and wrong economic policies to achieve the goals of socialism.
UML leaders also said although the UML suffered splits in 1998 and this year, the party was still a symbol of communist unity and it should continue to strive to unify communist forces. They also suggested that the party should make efforts to win majority seats in the next parliamentary and provincial elections.
Third-fronter UML leaders, who were with rival faction leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, but deserted him when he opened a new party last month, were not chosen leaders of the 10 groups that discussed three proposals - political report, proposal related to party organisation and proposal related to amendment to party statute.
Ten UML leaders had led groups representing provinces and the party's sister wings. They were Hikmat Karki (Province 1), Badri Prasad Neupane (Province 2), Ananda Pokharel (Bagmati) Jagat Bishwakarma (Gandaki), Dal Bahadur Rana (Lumbini), Yam Lal Kandel (Karnali) Karna Thapa (Sudurpaschim), Madhav Dhungel (Kathmandu valley) and Khim Lal Bhattarai (sister wings and departments).
These leaders are close to party Chair KP Sharma Oli.
Asked why third-front leaders were not made group leaders, Khim Lal Bhattarai said there was no thirdfront in the party now and all members were equal. He said the party did not discriminate against anybody while choosing group leaders and this should not be an issue.
UML Chair KP Sharma Oli has not implemented the 10-point unity proposal sincerely and third-front leaders have raised the issue.
Third-front leaders Bhim Bahadur Rawal and Asta Laxmi Shakya who were in-charge of Sudurpaschim and Bagmati respectively before the CPN-UML's merger with the CPN- MC have not been given their original responsibilities.
The ten group leaders and some other Central Committee members put forth their suggestions on the three documents today.
UML Chair KP Sharma Oli will respond to the party leaders' suggestions tomorrow.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 26 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
