KATHMANDU: Nepal’s ruling party CPN-UML has proposed removing the existing age and term limits for leadership positions, alongside scrapping the senior vice chair post.
During a Secretariat meeting held Thursday at the party’s central office in Chyasal, Vice Chair Bishnu Prasad Paudel presented a statute amendment proposal that includes the removal of the 70-year age ceiling and the two-term limit for key party roles.
The proposal also suggests reducing the number of central office-bearers from 19 to 11. A party official told Khabarhub that Paudel laid out a revised structure including one chair, three vice chairs, one general secretary, one deputy general secretary, and five secretaries.
However, senior vice chair Ishwar Pokharel and several Secretariat members expressed disagreement with the plan to downsize the leadership team. They argued that reducing the number of office-bearers in a large party like UML could complicate the allocation of responsibilities.
The meeting, which began at 2 PM, was still ongoing at the time of reporting, with members given a short break for refreshments due to extended discussions.
The proposed changes would directly benefit party chair KP Sharma Oli, who has already completed two terms as chair—first elected at the ninth General Convention in Kathmandu and re-elected at the tenth in Chitwan. Oli, now 74, would also benefit from the removal of the 70-year age limit, a change he has previously advocated for.
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