KATHMANDU: Delegates are casting their votes today to elect the new leadership of the CPN-UML during the party’s 11th national convention.
The Central Election Commission has scheduled polling from 1 pm to 7 pm at the closed-session venue of the convention in Bhrikuti Mandap in Kathmandu.
Current party chairman KP Sharma Oli and senior vice-chairman Ishwor Pokharel are competing for the post of party chairman, each leading a panel. The preliminary candidate list published by the commission confirms their contest for the top post.
Dr. Bijay Subba, chairman of the Central Election Commission, stated that 80 electronic voting machines will be used, with each voter expected to take 25 to 30 minutes to cast their ballot. A total of 2,263 delegates are participating in the convention.
The party’s published candidate list also shows filings for other leadership positions. Eleven candidates have registered for the five vice-chairman posts, including Arun Nepal, Guru Prasad Baral, Gokarna Bista, Parshuram Meghi Gurung, Prithivi Subba Gurung, Bhim Prasad Acharya, Raghuji Pant, Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal,’ Dr. Binda Pandey, and Bishnu Prasad Poudel. Shankar Pokharel and Surendra Prasad Pandey are contesting the single General Secretary post.
For the three deputy general secretary positions, Ananda Prasad Pokharel, Yogesh Bhattarai, Raghubir Mahaseth, Rajendra Prasad Gautam, Lekhraj Bhatta, and Bishnu Prasad Rimal have filed their candidacies.
Additionally, 20 candidates are competing for nine secretary positions, while more than 1,000 aspirants have filed to become central members, representing diverse geographies and regions across the country.
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