Senior Leader of CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal has told his confidants that the proposal to amend the party statute to make the chairperson all-powerful has closed the door on party unity.
The central committee meeting of the party, boycotted by the Khanal-Nepal faction, on Monday proposed to amend the party statute in a way that only chairperson, general secretary and central members are elected in general convention, and the rest of the office-bearers are nominated by the chairman.
"The chapter of unity has been closed by the unilateral decision of KP Sharma Oli on Monday. Parallel activities should be intensified across the country now," a leader quoted Nepal as saying. "The decision has obstructed party unity."
The party has decided to present the proposal for statute amendment during the statute convention scheduled for September 12 and 13.
The general convention currently elects chairperson, five vice-chairpersons, general secretary, two deputy general secretaries and five secretaries. The party first elected multiple office-bearers in the eighth general convention 13 years back when chairman, three vice-chairpersons, one general secretary and three secretaries were elected.
The ninth general convention then elected chairman, five vice-chairpersons, general secretary, two deputy general secretaries and five secretaries. The statute made the immediate past chairperson ex-officio senior leader who is considered an office-bearer.
UML Spokesperson Pradeep Gyawali said after the central committee meeting, that followed standing committee also on Monday, that the proposal has been made due to the past experience of the chairman facing problems to work. "There was difficulty in division of responsibilities and jurisdictions when the office-bearers and chairman all were elected," Gyawali justified the need for making the chairperson all-powerful.
