Plans to make maximum use of social media
KATHMANDU, July 20 The Central Committee meeting of the CPN-UML endorsed the party Chairman Jhalanath Khanal´s political report even as some CC members fiercely criticized the leadership for failing to come up with an effective plan of action for the coming Constituent Assembly polls.
At the meeting on Saturday, the party decided to focus its energy on CA polls while keeping aside intra-party issues for a few months to come. The meeting also decided to launch Tarai-Madhes Campaign-2070 in a bid to rejuvenate its relations with the people in Madhes region, where the party is believed to be losing its hold in the recent years.[break]
Leaders at the meeting decided to constitute various committees, including the election steering committee, election manifesto drafting panel, a committee to nominate candidates and an election publicity body. The standing committee is scheduled to meet in the morning on Sunday to prepare a blueprint of the committees. The blueprint will be presented to the central committee for approval later the same day.
During the meeting, altogether 57 members aired their views on chairman´s political paper. The debate on the paper wasn´t as heated as it used to be in the past as members were given only two minutes each. Due to time constraints, members presented their views in writing.
Despite limited time, some members fiercely criticized Khanal saying that his paper was incomplete and unclear about the party policies. They also criticized all the top leaders for not standing united.
“Most of the members airing their views emphasized the need for unity between top leaders ahead of the polls,” CPN-UML Spokesperson Pradeep Gyawali told Republica.
CC member Jagannath Khatiwada, in his five-page written comment, said the party chairman´s document was full of serious flaws.
Khatiwada also ridiculed Khanal´s claim that the UML would emerge as the largest party in the coming elections. “The party has become quite ineffective in raising the issues concerning nationality, class-based agendas, intra-party management and has lost its dynamism,” said Khatiwada. “How can the party emerge as the largest party? Will a magician help us get the position overnight?” he questioned.
He also compared the party leadership with “an individual sitting on a cozy chair inside his/her house and imagining to climb the Mt Everest” to mean that the leaders´ claim was unrealistic.
On the recent debate over electoral constituency delineation, he urged the party not to accept the proposal to delimit constituencies only on the basis of population. He said such a move would do injustice to the people of the hills and mountains while drastically increase the number of constituencies in the Tarai region and other urban areas.
Gyawali, who is the chief of the party´s publicity department, presented a plan of action on making the party´s publicity campaign effective. He has proposed to make maximum use of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, websites and other online media during the election.
“The party´s website should be upgraded and fully updated. For that two reporters (one each for Nepali and English languages) should be appointed. There should be audio and video sections and we should make maximum use of YouTube,” read the proposal presented at the meeting for discussions. “The party should introduce its own official Facebook and Twitter accounts.”
The plan has also prioritized using documentary to advocate the party´s policies while exposing the flaws of the rival parties, mainly the Maoists. “A documentary will be produced to show the rise and fall of Maoists. Such a documentary will be based on a tragic story of a former Maoist combatant,” it said. It would be a 30-minute documentary.
The plan has proposed producing a weekly audio program on the party´s policy of People´s Multiparty Democracy to be aired through FM radio.
The party plans to maintain good relations with mainstream media houses. It says the party should strive for support from the mainstream media. “If we can´t get their support, we should at least neutralize them,” it said.
The party leadership has also been suggested to announce the party´s candidates for the post of president and prime minister.
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