KATHMANDU: Several senior leaders of the CPN-UML who have held influential government and party positions have not withdrawn their names from the proportional representation (PR) list, even after the party suffered one of its worst performances in the House of Representatives (HoR) election.
The Election Commission Nepal on Thursday finalized the seat allocation under the proportional representation system following the completion of vote counting in the HoR election held on March 5.
According to the Commission, six political parties crossed the three percent threshold required to be recognized as national parties under the PR system. The Rastriya Swatantra Party emerged as the largest force under PR with 57 seats, followed by the Nepali Congress with 20 seats, the UML with 16 seats, the Nepali Communist Party with nine seats, the Shram Sanskriti Party with four seats, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party with four seats.
Out of 18,903,689 registered voters, 11,168,032 cast their ballots in the first-past-the-post system, of which 10,559,017 votes, 94.55 percent, were valid. Under the PR system, 11,280,617 votes were cast, with 10,835,025 valid votes, representing 96.05 percent.
The Commission has already instructed political parties to submit within three days the names of candidates who will be elected through the PR system based on the allocated seats.
Old faces remain on UML’s PR list
Despite the party’s dramatic electoral setback, several veteran leaders close to party chairman KP Sharma Oli remain on the PR list and appear unwilling to step aside.
The UML has been reduced to one of its weakest positions in decades, securing only nine seats through the direct election system and a total of around 25 seats when PR allocations are included, far below its previous strength.
Observers say the result reflects growing public dissatisfaction with the party’s leadership and direction. However, critics argue that senior figures who have repeatedly held power have shown little willingness to accept responsibility or make way for younger leaders.
Among those still positioned to enter Parliament through the PR system are UML Vice-Chair Ram Bahadur Thapa, party leader Guru Baral, Secretary Padma Aryal, and leaders Komal Oli and Shanta Chaudhary.
Critics within the party say none of the senior figures included in the PR list have attempted to withdraw their candidacies on moral grounds following the disappointing election outcome.
Calls for generational change ignored
The election result has intensified calls within UML for generational change and internal reform. Many party supporters believe the outcome reflects voters’ desire for a new leadership direction.
Despite this, insiders say the PR list largely favors leaders considered close to Oli rather than those who have long worked at the grassroots level.
For instance, Ram Bahadur Thapa, a former Home and Defense Minister, is listed in the indigenous cluster and is widely expected to enter Parliament through the PR system.
Similarly, Guru Baral, a veteran leader from Morang who has contested multiple parliamentary elections in the past, has been placed at the top of the Khas Arya cluster and is likely to secure a seat.
Padma Aryal, a former Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation as well as Agriculture and Livestock Development, also remains on the list and is expected to be among the party’s PR lawmakers.
Leadership under scrutiny
Political analysts say the UML’s electoral collapse has placed significant pressure on chairman KP Sharma Oli, who nevertheless continues to defend the party’s performance.
Oli has described the election outcome as below expectations but has not indicated any intention to step down from the leadership.
Meanwhile, critics argue that the continued presence of senior leaders on the PR list despite the party’s poor showing risks deepening dissatisfaction among supporters who expected accountability and renewal.
With parties now preparing to submit the final names of PR lawmakers to the Election Commission, the composition of UML’s parliamentary team is likely to reflect the same old leadership faces—despite the clear message delivered by voters in the latest election.
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