Khanal elected UML chairman

Ishwar Pokharel elected general-secretary

Ashok Rai, Bam Dev Gautam and Bidhya Bhandari elected vice-chairs

Bishnu Poudel, Shankar Pokharel and Yubaraj Gyawali elected secretaries

This is an opportunity as well as a challenge: Khanal

I will execute duties assigned by the party: Oli

Madhav Nepal to concentrate on constitution making

KATHMANDU, Feb 24: After days of uncertainty and curiosity about who would lead the country´s third largest party during the current transitional phase of the country, erstwhile General Secretary of CPN-UML Jhala Nath Khanal was declared the winner of the top party post, Chairman, Tuesday evening.

Read Khanal´s biography [break]

Hari Krishna Karki, the chief election official of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), announced that Khanal emerged the victor with 913 votes. Earlier, unofficial reports had suggested that Khanal had received 942 votes. His rival, KP Sharma Oli, has received 796 votes. However, Karki didn´t say anything about the remaining 74 votes, according to journalist Dipendra Poudel of Nepal One Television.

Some UML student leaders had greeted Khanal with garlands, following his victory, said Poudel.

A total of 1783 UML delegates had cast their ballots on Sunday to elect eight office bearers and 115 central committee members for a five-year term, during the eighth general convention of the party in Butwal. This is the first time in the history of any communist party of Nepal that the top leadership has been elected through direct election. In the past, the office-bearers used to be elected by the central committee elected by party delegates.

Among other winners are erstwhile head of the party´s publicity department, Ishwar Pokharel, for the post of General Secretary, the second most powerful post of the party. Pokharel, who received 935 votes, beat Pradip Nepal with a margin of 203.

Ashok Rai bagged 1,199 votes to become one of three vice-chairs of the party. Other elected vice-chairs are Bam Dev Gautam, who is also the deputy Prime Minister (865) and Bidhya Bhandari (851). Bharat Mohan Adhikari, Bhim Rawal and Sahana Pradhan have lost the race.

Bishnu Poudel, who is also the Water Resources Minister in the ruling coalition, bagged the highest number of votes (1,262) to become one of three secretaries. Other elected secretaries are Shankar Pokharel (1058) and Yubaraj Gyawali (835). Raghubir Mahaseth, Rajendra Shrestha and Ram Chandra Jha lost their bid for party secretary.

There are only two Oli loyalists in the top-most leadership: Bidhya Bhandari and Shankar Pokharel. Ashok Rai and Bishnu Poudel have maintained their neutrality.

With four members in the central committee already elected unopposed, there are now 18 members in the central committee, besides the eight office-bearers. (Follow this link to see the names of all 18.)

The CPN-UML is organizing a formal ceremony in Butwal to administer the oath of office to the newly-elected party leadership, according to Gokarna Bista, a UML leader.

On the other hand, though the election committee applied extra efforts to finish the vote count of the office-bearers, it is still counting the votes received by other central committee members. Surya Thapa, a party delegate, told myrepublica.com from Butwal that the counting should be over by Wednesday morning. A formal program will be organized in Butwal to wrap up on Wednesday the general convention, which was officially opened on February 16 initially for just six days.

This is an opportunity as well as a challenge: Khanal

Following his election to the top party post, Khanal told journalists at the convention venue that his election was an opportunity as well as a challenge. He also said he would steer the party towards progression.

"The party will present itself strongly in the government," said an exhilarated Khanal, adding that there is no clash of interests in the party. "All kinds of groupisms will be ended," he declared.

Senior UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, who had reportedly backed Oli´s candidacy for the post of chairman, expressed his hope that the party would move ahead in a "unified and improved" manner. "I will concentrate on the writing of the new constitution," said Nepal, who is also the Constitutional Committee of the Constituent Assembly.

Leader Nepal had tried to come up with a consensus candidate for the chairman. Even after days of meetings between Khanal, Nepal and Oli, they couldn´t agree on election and went to poll.

I will execute duties assigned by the party: Oli

In his first reaction to the press about his defeat, KP Oli said he takes Khanal´s victory as his own victory for being successful in establishing democratic system in the party. "I will continue politics, I won´t take break from politics," he said. "I will execute responsibilities assigned to me by the party." He also said he would come out in a more effective way.

Asked what he was feeling about Khanal´s win, Oli opted to keep mum, saying that he would tell everything at a press conference in Butwal, Wednesday.

Final Vote Count

Chairman

Jhala Nath Khanal	913 (elected)
KP Sharma Oli	796

Vice-chairman (three posts)

Ashok Rai	1199 (elected)
Bam Dev Gautam	865 (elected)
Bidhya Bhandari	851 (elected)
Bhim Rawal	722
Sahana Pradhan	618
Bharat Mohan Adhikari	600

General Secretary

Ishwar Pokharel	935 (elected)
Pradip Nepal	732

Secretary (Three Posts)

Bishnu Poudel	1262 (elected)
Shankar Pokharel	1058 (elected)
Yubaraj Gyawali	835 (elected)
Rajendra Shrestha	672
Raghubir Mahaseth	656
Ram Chandra Jha	482