KATHMANDU, July 18: The CPN-UML has decided to remove the 70-year age limit and the two-term restriction on executive positions. A consensus was reached after nearly 10 hours of discussion during the Secretariat meeting held on Thursday at the party headquarters in Chyasal, Lalitpur.
UML Vice Chairperson Bishnu Paudel presented a statute amendment proposal to remove the age limit, which was approved by the meeting. The Secretariat also approved a provision allowing candidates to contest for executive positions, including the party chairperson, for more than two consecutive terms.
The 70-year age limit and term limits were first introduced after the ninth General Convention. Although these provisions were removed during the unification with the Maoist Center, the age limit was reinstated following the 10th General Convention. However, differing views remain within UML regarding the term limits. Senior leaders, including the vice chairperson, have claimed that the provision passed by the Statute Convention was deliberately omitted during the final publication of the statute.
UML removes 70-year age limit, paving the way for Oli to hold t...
The age limit was officially suspended in June 2023, and the Central Committee subsequently approved the suspension.
The meeting also agreed to increase the number of office-bearers from the initially proposed 11 to 15. Likewise, the party will retain its three-tier structure comprising the Standing Committee, Politburo, and Central Committee. Under the new proposal, the Central Committee will consist of 251 members, with one-third of them—i.e., 84 members—serving in the Politburo. It has also been proposed that the existing Secretariat be dissolved, and the office-bearers themselves function as the Standing Committee.
With the amendment proposal passed by the Secretariat, the draft will now be presented at the Politburo meeting scheduled for Friday (today) at 1 p.m., followed by a Central Committee meeting on July 21 to discuss the proposal.
UML has already announced the date and venue for the Statute Convention. According to the declaration, the convention will be held from September 5 to 7 in Godawari, Lalitpur.
The meeting also touched on the recent decision by former President Bidya Devi Bhandari to return to active politics—a move that has sparked debates both within and outside the party. Sources said Bhandari is unlikely to be a representative member at the Statute Convention.
