KATHMANDU, July 14: With the date for the statute convention finalized, internal discussions have begun within the ruling CPN-UML to lift the age limit for party leadership positions. The party had previously introduced a 70-year age cap to prevent leadership stagnation and to adapt to the times. However, in light of former President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s announcement of returning to active UML politics, a proposal is being tabled to remove the age restriction.
Although UML had consistently emphasized the importance of age limits in politics, the move to scrap the provision appears to be aimed at facilitating Bhandari’s return. UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel has publicly stated that a proposal to remove the 70-year age limit will be brought forward at the upcoming statute convention. This would create a situation in which leaders could remain active indefinitely.
Following Bhandari’s renewal of party membership and her declaration on June 28 that she would come back to active politics, the UML has witnessed internal turbulence. The party’s establishment faction has since begun lobbying to remove the age limit. There is intense curiosity over Bhandari’s political strategy, especially as she is expected to vie for party leadership in the upcoming convention. The age limit removal is seen as a move to block her rise and ensure Prime Minister and UML chair KP Sharma Oli continues at the helm.
Addressing a meeting of the party’s central departments at the party headquarters on Sunday, UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel claimed that it is the central committee’s responsibility and duty to endorse, through the statute convention, the decision to suspend the 70-year age limit previously made by the committee. He also argued that recent debates and confusion over certain statute provisions were being unnecessarily provoked.
On November 26, 2021, during the central committee meeting held in Sauraha, Chitwan, a proposal to amend certain provisions of the party statute was proposed in the committee by then Deputy General Secretary Bishnu Prasad Paudel.
The Central Committee had already proposed amendments to some of the statute’s provisions at a meeting held on November 26, 2021, in Sauraha in Chitwan, based on a proposal by then Deputy General Secretary Bishnu Prasad Paudel.
“The first statute convention held in Godawari in 2021 had fixed a 225-member central committee and 15 office bearers,” said Pokharel. “To manage the crisis that emerged within the party, the structure was later expanded to a 301-member central committee and 19 office bearers.” He added that the latest amendment further increased the central executive body to 25 members and revised the provision limiting candidates for the chairmanship to only two terms.
General Secretary Pokharel said, “The leader under whose leadership we wanted to steer the party had contested the eighth general convention as a candidate for the party chair. He won in the ninth. Seeing that the statute's provision would bar him, the clause limiting candidacy to two attempts or two terms was amended.”
Based on General Secretary Pokharel’s remarks, PM Oli will once again be a candidate for the UML chairmanship. Citing the same statute amendment, Pokharel said that Pushpa Kandel was appointed as the Chairperson of the Audit Commission for a third term, and also revealed that the 70-year age limit was removed when Mukunda Neupane was inducted into the party on April 22, 2023.
However, UML Standing Committee member Karna Bahadur Thapa expressed dissatisfaction with the convention-focused meeting. Speaking at the gathering of party departments held at the party’s Chyasal headquarters, Thapa alleged that he was not allowed to voice his opinion.
He alleged that the meeting was one-sided. “The gathering organized by the Secretariat regarding the statute convention appeared limited to distributing the three amended versions of the party statute printed by the office, following a series of one-sided speeches,” he said.
The party had convened a meeting of all its central departments focused on the upcoming statute convention. The General Secretary delivered his speech and abruptly declared the program over.
Expressing dissatisfaction, Thapa said he was not allowed to speak the truth. “No time was allotted to express genuine concerns. Let there be no confusion within the party ranks,” Thapa remarked.