As per the party statute, five percent of the total of 116 elected central committee members need to be nominated to give full shape to the committee. But the party couldn´t finalize the list of nominees due to factional differences over the proposed names. [break]
It was only in April that the party nominated former speaker Subas Nembang and another party leader, Gyan Bahadur Bhujel, to the central committee.
The other positions remain vacant and the top leaders are in a fix as the number of aspirants that need to be accommodated is higher than the number the party statute allows them to nominate.
"Lately, discussions are being held mainly on two options. The first option is to amend the provision on nominating five percent of the total elected members and keep open the possibility of increasing the number of members," party politburo member Bishnu Rimal told Republica. "And the second option is to convert the present central committee into the general convention organizing committee and expand its size so that some crucial members could be accommodated."
He said that though the proposal is yet to be finalized, most leaders are positive towards the idea. Separate meetings of the party´s secretariat members and standing committee will finalize the agenda and present it for endorsement at the central committee meeting, which is scheduled to start on July 19.
Some other secretariat members who are closely involved in the discussions, however, said that the proposal to transform the present central committee into the organizing committee is unlikely as the date for the new general convention is still unclear due to uncertainty over the Constituent Assembly polls scheduled for November.
The party´s standing committee had recently decided to concentrate all the energies of the party on the CA polls and not hold the general convention prior to that.
One leader said that they haven´t been able to finalize the number of new members to be nominated for the CC, due to various reasons.
"We want to nominate some of the party´s genuine leaders to the committee and the party in the meantime is holding discussions with some fringe parties over unification. For that we may need some positions in the CC," said a leader involved in the negotiations.
Also, the party top brass wants to accommodate some leaders who have remained inactive for some years and those who had quit the UML earlier and now want to return to the fold. "Given the aforementioned situation and the upcoming CA elections and general convention, it is most likely that the party will amend the provision and make it possible to nominate more members than five percent for just this once," said a leader.
The UML held its eighth general convention in Butwal in February 2009 and is scheduled to hold the ninth conclave next February if everything goes as planned. The party elected all its office bearers and 116 CC members from the general convention.
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