KATHMANDU: The Central Committee meeting of the CPN-UML began on Monday at the party’s central office in Chyasal, Lalitpur, with strict restrictions imposed on media coverage.
The meeting was called to discuss preparations for the party’s upcoming Second Statute Convention, scheduled to be held from September 5 to 7.
While the meeting commenced earlier today at the Tulsilal Memorial Foundation premises, journalists, especially photojournalists, were barred from entering the venue. Even access to areas immediately outside the meeting hall was restricted, and journalists were directed to a designated zone marked by posters pasted on nearby walls.
According to party sources, only central committee members were allowed inside, citing “security concerns” as the reason for the media blackout. Journalists were left to report from the roadside, exposed to dust and heat.
In previous meetings, the media had been allowed up to the outer halls of the venue. However, the party appears to have taken a stricter approach following Sunday’s incident, when former President Bidya Devi Bhandari had an uncomfortable encounter with a chaotic group of reporters after her meeting with party chair KP Sharma Oli.
Reportedly, Bhandari was willing to speak to the media but was caught off-guard by the crowd’s disorderly behavior. The confusion led to visible hesitation on her part, which is believed to have prompted Monday’s tighter media restrictions at the UML headquarters.
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