LALITPUR: Senior and central leaders of the CPN-UML have continued to press party chair KP Sharma Oli to resign from his post as the party’s 10th Central Committee meeting entered its second day on Thursday.
The meeting, which began on Wednesday in Lalitpur, saw a growing number of central members urging Oli to step down and hand over leadership responsibilities to another senior leader ahead of the party’s 11th General Convention. The second day’s session, which started in the morning, was adjourned at 1 p.m. for lunch.
Most speakers on Thursday said the UML must emerge stronger from its upcoming general convention, arguing that the political landscape following the September 9 Gen-Z movement has changed significantly. They stressed that the party should undertake a serious review and reform to remain relevant.
Several central committee members concluded that the UML cannot continue to function effectively under the current leadership structure. They proposed that Oli step aside and appoint an acting leader to guide the party until the next convention finalizes new leadership.
Leaders Rachana Khadka, Yuvaraj Baskota, Rabin Koirala, Ramlal Sah, Mamata Giri, and Meena Gurung were among those who called on Oli to resign. Koirala suggested that Oli should “take a break and rest,” while Sah urged him to “gracefully make way” for new leadership.
Central member Rachana Khadka pushed for reinstating the two-term limit for top leadership positions and called on Oli to lead by example. “We must revive the two-term provision and age limit to strengthen the party. Otherwise, once someone assumes leadership, it seems they intend to hold it for life, making the party temporary and the person permanent,” she said.
The leaders also warned that retaining the current leadership until the next election could inflict serious damage on the party.
Oli, however, in his address on Wednesday, made it clear that he had no intention of stepping down. He asserted that he would continue to lead the UML and contest the upcoming 11th General Convention as chair, firmly rejecting the idea of resignation.
According to party insiders, the debate over Oli’s future leadership is likely to intensify in the coming days as more central members prepare to express their views on his six-page political document presented at the start of the meeting.
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