Battle for UML leadership begins as 11th general convention kicks off

KATHMANDU: The 11th General Convention of the CPN-UML is set to begin today, with party chair KP Sharma Oli scheduled to inaugurate the event at Sallaghari ground in Bhaktapur at 1 pm.

The convention will continue until December 15 and is being attended by 2,262 representatives from across the country. The closed-door session, where the party’s new leadership will be elected, will begin from Sunday at Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu.

To mark the party’s 11th general convention, 11 party flags will be placed at the venue. Of these, 10 flags will be hoisted at the outset, while one will be raised remotely, according to UML Publicity and Publication Department chief Rajendra Gautam.

Leadership selection at the convention will be guided by the statute and policy endorsed by the second Statute Convention held from September 5 to 7. Party Chair KP Sharma Oli and Senior Vice-chair Ishwar Pokharel are expected to face each other in the race for the top post. Both sides are likely to contest with full panels for the 15-member office-bearer team.

The party’s central secretariat meeting held on Friday finalized the election process, closed-session modality and the basis for leadership formation. According to UML Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali, the meeting decided to elect a 251-member central committee and 15 office-bearers in line with the structure endorsed by the statute convention.

UML leaders have claimed that all preparations for the convention have been completed. The party expects around 300,000 people to attend the inaugural session. The opening ceremony will feature more than 200 cultural tableaux representing Nepal’s diverse art, culture and national unity.

Leaders and representatives from 16 political parties have been invited to the inaugural ceremony, including Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.

To ensure the convention is held in a peaceful and orderly manner, more than 500 volunteers from the party’s 24 mass organizations will be deployed in uniform. Additionally, around 10,000 trained volunteers will be mobilized to manage services and maintain order throughout the event, the party said.