UML Youth Leaders Demand Leadership Transition and Special General Convention

Kathmandu. On Chaitra 20, as CPN-UML officials arrived at the central office in Chyasal, Lalitpur, for the central secretariat meeting, they were greeted by youths offering flowers. The gesture served as a symbolic message: it is time for the current leadership to step down and pass the torch to the younger generation.

With Chairman KP Sharma Oli under arrest, all other members of the 19-member secretariat attended the meeting. The youth student leaders urged the officials to initiate a debate on leadership change, citing the demands of the times.

While many leaders promised to address these concerns, the meeting could not make any formal decisions in the absence of the Chairman. The party has already announced protests against what it calls the retaliatory arrest of its leader. Tensions within the party were further fueled by the appointment of senior leader Ram Bahadur Thapa 'Badal' as the parliamentary party leader, which frustrated those advocating for reform.

The six-hour meeting on Chaitra 20 also addressed controversial remarks made by Thapa during the first parliamentary session on Chaitra 13. The party officially distanced itself from his comments regarding the Rastriya Swatantra Party's (RSP) electoral success. The meeting also conducted a preliminary review of the Falgun 21 parliamentary elections.

During the review, leaders acknowledged that the party failed to keep pace with the aspirations of the youth and that public trust in the old guard is waning. UML Secretary Sherdhan Rai admitted that questions have been raised regarding the party's leadership and working style, noting that discussions at the secretariat level are no longer sufficient.

Youth leaders, including those from the All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU), have launched a signature campaign demanding a special general convention. ANNFSU Deputy General Secretary Kamal Joshi stated that the campaign is a response to the party's historic defeat in the recent elections and the lack of public confidence in the current leadership. Approximately 500 signatures have been collected so far.

According to the UML statute, a special general convention can be called if a majority of the National General Convention Council members submit a written request. If the central committee fails to organize it within six months, the council members have the authority to form an organizing committee themselves.