KATHMANDU, Oct 15: The leadership of Nepal’s major political parties has been forced to confront growing calls for reform and leadership change in the wake of the September 8–9 Gen Z protest that toppled the elected government.
The CPN-UML, which led the previous government, and the CPN (Maoist Center), the then main opposition, have both announced their general conventions for Mangsir (mid-November to mid-December). Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress (NC) is struggling with internal unrest and an uncertain leadership transition following President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s decision to step back from his executive role.
The UML Secretariat meeting held on Sunday decided to convene the party’s 11th General Convention in early December. The move comes amid mounting pressure on Chairman KP Sharma Oli to resign, with several senior leaders arguing that the party needs new leadership following the government’s collapse during the Gen Z protests. Oli, however, has shown no indication of stepping down.
Political Leadership Vs Organizational Leadership
The Maoist Center faces relatively less internal division, since Pushpa Kamal Dahal continue to hold strong grip in the party. Dahal had earlier dissolved the party’s central committee and announced plans to hold a special general convention toward the end of Mangsir. Senior leaders of the party Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Janardan Sharma, called for a leadership change, but their challenge so far appears weak.
The situation in the Nepali Congress, however, has turned bitter-sweet. On Tuesday, President Sher Bahadur Deuba officially handed over his executive responsibilities to Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka, appointing him as acting president of the party. The announcement was made during the Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting at the party’s headquarters in Sanepa — Deuba’s first public appearance since the violent attack on him and wife Arzu Rana Deuba at his Budhanilkantha residence on September 9 during the Gen Z unrest.
In a significant move, Deuba also announced that he will not contest for party presidency in the upcoming 15th General Convention. By assigning Khadka the responsibility of organizing the general convention, Deuba signaled that he has completely distanced himself from the party’s executive affairs.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Deuba presented a 13-page written statement emphasizing that the country can return to a fully constitutional path only through elections.
Meanwhile, internal conflict within the Congress continues to escalate. Senior leaders Gagan Thapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma have gathered signatures from over 51 percent of the general convention delegates to demand a special general convention, a move that could intensify the leadership crisis.
The next CWC meeting, scheduled for October 16, is expected to be contentious as Thapa and Sharma plan to challenge the old guard and push for leadership renewal.
With the UML and Maoist Center preparing for leadership transitions and the Congress navigating a potential generational shift, the post-Gen Z political landscape is rapidly reshaping. With all major parties under pressure to reinvent themselves in response to public demand for accountability and reform.
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