KATHMANDU: The CPN-UML has decided to hold its maiden Statute Assembly on September 12 and 13.

Spokesperson Pradeep Gyawali said the UML’s Central Committee (CC) meeting held Monday decided to convene the Legislative Assembly after the Standing Committee proposed the same. He said, “It has been decided to hold the assembly on September 12 and 13, 2021.”

The UML is holding a Legislation Assembly for the first time.

Monday’s CC meeting also decided to form four committees in order to hold the Legislative Assembly. Spokesperson Gyawali informed one committee, of the four, under the chairmanship of party Chairman KP Oli was tasked with preparing the UML’s political manifesto and another committee led by General Secretary Ishwar Pokhrel would draft organizational proposal.

Likewise, another committeee led by Deputy General Secretary Bishnu Poudel would draft a statute amendment proposal and the management committee headed by Ram Bahadur Thapa would look after overall management of the Legislation Assembly.

Similarly, the UML CC meeting also proposed doing away with the present Standing Committee and retaining the Central Committee and politburo and a smaller secretariat.

The UML meeting also proposed incorporating a provision in the UML Statute to elect party chairperson or other chairpersons and nominating all other office bearers. The CC also decided to circulate the proposed statute amdendment to all the local levels by next Wednesday and seek their suggestions within a month.

The Central Committee (CC) meeting also passed a proposal to increase the number of CC size from 169 to 225 members. Likewise, the UML provisioned for individuals to apply at the local-level committee, which would forward the recommendation to the district committee, for obtaining the party membership. The center would later update the membership after district forwards membership details to it.

The UML central committee meeting has also opposed the government’s decision to dismiss the commission on land issues. “The decision was destructive instead of constructive,” said Gyawali.

The UML also opposed some of the points included in the government’s common minimum program. Stating that the current government was opportunist, spokesperson Gyawali said, “What does the government mean by resolving the issue of Limpiyadhura, Lipulek and Kalapani? UML-led government had claimed Kalapani and the parliament had already incorporated those territory in coat-of-arms. We expected that the government would say it would to bring back our land, but instead it said it will solve the problem.”

Similarly, the UML deduced that the government had failed in effective distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Spokesperson Gyawali said that the current government could not even distribute the vaccines secured by the then government, which had ensured 16 million doses.

Spokesperson Gyawali also claimed that rumors were spread that China had encroached on Nepali land. He added there was no border dispute with China and earlier it was said that Pillar No. 11 was missing, but that it had been resolved. “Relation with China was fabricated and presented,” he said.