KATHMANDU, Dec 9: The rival faction led by Senior Vice Chairman of the CPN-UML Ishwor Pokhrel formally submitted a detailed policy concept paper to the party’s central office in Chyasal on Monday in the run-up to the party’s 11th General Convention, signaling a direct challenge to the long-dominant leadership of party chairman and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
Pokhrel has already announced his candidacy for party chairperson in the upcoming General Convention against current party Chairman Oli, who holds a strong grip in the party.
Pokhrel, accompanied by senior party leaders, handed over the document to UML General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel.
According to Pokhrel, the team had initially planned to submit the document directly to party chair KP Sharma Oli, but due to unfavourable circumstances, it was instead handed to the general secretary at the central office. The concept paper will be formally presented in an organized manner at the General Convention.
Ishwar Pokhrel submits policy proposal for UML General Conventi...
The paper serves as the political blueprint of the Pokhrel camp for the upcoming convention, scheduled to be held in Kathmandu from December 13 to 15.
Pokhrel, after filing the paper at the party office, said that his faction seeks a restructured leadership, warning that without organizational reform, the party risks moving in the wrong direction.
Emphasising party reform and national responsibility, Pokhrel said safeguarding the party is essential to safeguarding the nation itself. “Protecting the nation by protecting the party and prioritising the interests of the Nepali people is our collective responsibility,” Pokhrel said. “Only by strengthening internal democracy can we develop the CPN-UML into a strong national force capable of building and leading a democratic society.”
Earlier in the day, Vice-Chair Surendra Pandey said the document includes key conclusions related to leadership change. He said the faction is preparing to contest all major leadership positions at the convention if KP Sharma Oli does not voluntarily step aside.
While the concept paper avoids direct personal attacks against Oli, it clearly advocates generational transition, internal democracy, and structural reform. “We are not opposing an individual,” a Pokhrel-aligned leader said. “But Chair KP Sharma Oli must now step down in the party’s interest. He has already served three terms as prime minister and twice as party chair. If he refuses to leave voluntarily, then all posts will be contested.”
The concept paper also supports the political developments, including the ‘Gen Z’ protest as legitimate demands of youths seeking transparency from the government. It also noted that vandalism and arson of September 9 must be punished.
The concept paper criticizes “leaders” who blamed foreign powers for the cause of the Gen Z protest. “Nepali society had not suffered such a crisis in its 250 years of modern history,” reads the paper. Pokhrel also noted that youths who died during the September 8 and 9 protests were from lower middle class families unlike the participants of the people’s movements of 1990 and 2006 where the majority of participants were middle-class people. “It shows our society is not progressing as reported and failed to address lower class people,” the paper reads.
The concept paper says youths below 40 should be incorporated in all levels of party organisation.
It notes that the UML is approaching its general convention amid growing public criticism, political warnings, allegations, and expectations directed at the party leadership.
The document also stresses the need to create a conducive environment for former vice-chair and former President Bidya Devi Bhandari to return to active party politics.
