A statement issued on Friday after the conclusion of the party´s 22nd Central Committee meeting said the party has set out “concrete plans” to restructure its organization in terms of ideology, organization and working style.[break] The Central Committee met from December 22 to 25.
“The meeting has decided to go for a joint leadership system with a multi-post structure, so as to further democratize the party,” said the statement. “A decision has been reached to create posts like chairman, vice-chairman, general-secretary and secretary at the center and chairman, vice-chairman, secretary and deputy secretary at subordinate units.”
Head of the UML party organizational bureau Amrit Kumar Bohora had proposed during Wednesday´s Central Committee meeting that the existing party leadership structure should be changed.
The new system, which will come into effect after the party’s eighth national convention scheduled for February 16-21, 2009, envisages the chairman at the center leading the political wing of the party, while the general-secretary heads the party organization. The existing party structure has a general-secretary as the all-powerful leader.
The party is holding its national convention in Butwal with the slogan “Eighth Convention Against Status Quo, Anarchy and Disintegration: New Constitution for National Unity, Social Transformation and Federal Democratic Republic”.
UML General-Secretary Jhala Nath Khanal told a press conference Friday that the proposed democratization drive is in keeping with the current drive for transformation and democratization of the whole country. “Through further democratization within the party, we want to democratize the entire Nepali society,” he said.
Khanal also said the country should move forward with a fresh high-level understanding between “pro-change and pro-transformation” forces, which should be better than the 12-point understanding reached in 2005.
While criticizing the Maoists and the modus operandi of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, UML central leaders have decided to caution Dahal, who is also Maoist party chief, that the Maoists should mend their ways or else the “uncomfortable journey” of the two parties in government could not continue. To this end, the UML is submitting a memorandum to the Prime Minister “within two days”.
In the memorandum, the UML has criticized Maoist activities, besides warning that the political equation will be at risk unless the Maoists, and specifically their youth wing YCL, mend their ways and duly implement past agreements and understandings.
Khanal told the press conference that the Youth Force, the UML’s own youth wing, was created to assert the rule of law in the country. He also said the party is discussing whether or not to remove the “UML” tag from the party´s name.
The UML Central Committee will meet again on January 4 with special focus on holding the party’s national convention.
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