KATHMANDU, Sept 5: CPN-UML Senior Vice Chair Ishwar Pokhrel and duo Vice Chairs Yubaraj Gyawali and Surendra Pandey are preparing to raise their dissent at the Second Statute General Convention, arguing that former President Bidya Devi Bhandari cannot be prevented from returning to active politics. However, the establishment faction seems to suppress dissenting opinions.
A secretariat meeting was held on Thursday to suppress dissenting opinions. Now, the establishment faction plans to prevent them through the Central Committee (CC) meeting scheduled after the opening of the general convention.
On Wednesday, UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel stated that dissenting opinions regarding former President Bhandari’s party membership cannot be presented at the statute general convention. He argued that, legally, discussions at the convention are limited to party documents, and therefore, dissenting opinions on Bhandari’s membership cannot be allowed.
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At a press conference held at the party headquarters in Chyasal, Lalitpur, to provide information on the Second Statute General Convention, Pokharel mentioned that the dissenting opinion presented by Vice Chairs Yubaraj Gyawali and Surendra Pandey at the CC meeting was rejected, and the statutes do not allow the issue to be reopened for discussion at the convention.
“If the establishment faction cannot block dissenting opinions through the secretariat meeting, it will try to prevent them through the Central Committee meeting after the convention opens on Friday,” a UML office-bearer said. Pokharel expressed a similar view at the press conference. “There is a dissenting opinion from two vice presidents regarding the Central Committee’s decision. This has also become public,” Pokharel said. “I understand that this is a disagreement over a decision, not a disagreement of opinion.”
Vice Chair Gyawali, however, said he intends to present his dissenting opinion in his own way. “It is possible to present dissenting opinions in the party; this is a general convention,” he said. He added that he had to raise a dissenting opinion because the establishment tried to exaggerate and block the issue of former President Bhandari’s membership renewal, which was done with the advice of Party Chair KP Sharma Oli. “She (Bhandari) renewed her membership after consulting directly with the chairman. Membership renewal is not like a mere distribution of tickets by an employee. It was renewed after consultation with the chairman,” Gyawali said.
He further stated, “Chairman Oli himself had said in the secretariat meeting that the Constitution, rules, and our statutes do not prevent membership renewal. When she (former President Bhandari) expressed her wish to return to active politics, we cannot prevent her.” He said this is the matter over which they hold a dissenting opinion.
UML stated that 2,341 delegates will participate in the statute general convention. Party Chair and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will inaugurate the convention. Arrangements for stage decoration, secretariat, volunteers, medical teams, media center, and tableau displays for the convention have been completed.
At the convention, Chairman Oli will present the political report on behalf of the party, Vice Chair and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel will present proposals regarding statute amendments, and General Secretary Pokharel will present the organizational report. On behalf of the Central Discipline Commission, Chairman Keshab Badal; on behalf of the Central Audit Commission, Chairman Dr. Pushpa Kandel; on behalf of the Central Election Commission, Chairman Dr. Bijay Subba; and Chairman of the Central Advisory Council Amrit Kumar Bohora will also present their reports. Group discussions among delegates have been arranged. The convention will also elect the future leadership of the Central Election Commission.
To successfully conduct the statute general convention, eight sub-committees have been formed. Under the leadership of Central Organization Department Chief Kashinath Adhikari, tasks such as delegate management and preparation of an updated list have been completed.
Under the leadership of Lalbabu Pandit, in charge of the Central Contact Coordination Committee, accommodation management will be handled; volunteer deployment will be led by Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal; health management by Krishna Gopal Shrestha, head of the Health Department; publicity management by Rajendra Gautam, head of the Publicity and Publication Department; stage and decoration management by Binod Shrestha, head of the Labor Department; cultural programs and tableau management by Hemraj Rai, head of the Cultural Section; and food and secretariat management by Dr. Bhishma Adhikari, secretary of the Central Office, according to a UML press release.
