KATHMANDU: The ruling CPN-UML has decided to introduce mandatory exams for individuals seeking organized party membership, as part of a broader push to strengthen ideological commitment and restructure internal organization.
A meeting of the UML’s Organization Department, held on Tuesday in Chyasal in the presence of General Secretary Shankar Pokharel and Organization Department Chief Kashinath Adhikari, endorsed the proposal.
Organization Secretary Madhav Dhungel informed that new applicants will now be required to take an exam testing their basic understanding of the party’s principles before they are granted organized membership. The exam will be administered through an online system using standardized digital forms.
The meeting also endorsed a target to expand UML’s organized membership to six percent of the total voting population in the country. According to Dhungel, the party believes that expansion in both size and ideological depth is crucial ahead of upcoming political challenges.
UML had previously indicated a shift in policy following the 2022 general elections, where it alleged instances of internal sabotage in urban areas. In response, the party now aims to ensure only committed and well-informed individuals are granted full membership, particularly under the organized membership category.
In 2021, UML reported a total of 789,620 organized members, with 599,624 men and 188,996 women. Between its ninth general convention in 2014 and the tenth in 2021, the party added nearly 200,000 new organized members. Tuesday’s decision reflects a continuation of this expansion strategy, but with stricter entry criteria.
The party has also committed to standardizing its internal systems. All existing members will be required to renew their membership annually, and this process will also involve online documentation and exams. UML intends to digitalize its membership records entirely and strengthen internal training programs for all levels of its committees.
Further decisions made in the meeting include completing the formation of around 17,000 tole-level committees across the country, conducting short training programs at each level of party structures, and preparing a detailed organizational profile for each district.
The party will also launch a community engagement campaign through its affiliated sister organizations and roll out a program titled “Two Generations Together,” which combines elder recognition events with youth training sessions in each ward.
In preparation for its second statute convention, scheduled to take place in Godavari, Lalitpur from September 5 to 7, the UML has also instructed all party committees to send statute amendment proposals using respectful and constructive language.
UML views these reforms as key to consolidating its base, improving internal accountability, and equipping the party for long-term national leadership.
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