The 10th general convention of CPN-UML in Chitwan has unanimously elected its senior vice- chair, general secretary and three deputy general secretaries.
Ishwar Pokharel has been elected senior vice-chair, Shankar Pokharel as general secretary, and Pradeep Gyawali, Prithvi Subba Gurung and Bishnu Rimal deputy general secretaries unopposed as no one filed candidacy challenging them during the allotted time.
Oli—who was empowered to pick the consensus list of 19 office-bearers, 301 central committee members and chairmen of different commissions by the closed session the general convention on Saturday—read out the list of 19 office-bearers including himself as chairman during the closed session after Sunday midnight. The list did not include Rawal and Ghanashyam Bhusal—who had insisted to contest election for party chair and vice-chair respectively—as an office-bearer itself.
The consensus list presented by Oli picked Ishwar as senior vice-chair ahead of Subash Chandra Nembang who had stayed firm in his claim for the second-ranked post till the final hours.
Similarly, Shankar was picked over Bishnu Paudel for the second most powerful position in the party. Both Shankar and Paudel are Oli's lieutenants and the former, who was considered the preferred choice of Oli, finally prevailed with Paudel kept as vice-chair.
Shankar had lost the election for deputy general secretary, when the party elected two deputy general secretaries, finishing behind Ghanashyam Bhusal and Paudel in the last general convention. But he has been elevated to general secretary due to his close relation with Oli.
There were talks about putative factions of Pokharels fighting against that of Nembang and Paudel if election were held for senior vice-chair and general secretary. The Pokharels have ultimately prevailed in the consensus list prepared by Oli.
Oli first presented the list in the presidium meeting before the closed session started after midnight over 13 hours after it was scheduled to start Sunday morning. The presidium includes Oli, Ishwar, Yubaraj Gyawali, Ashta Laxmi Shakya, Bhim Rawal, Nembang, Ram Bahadur Thapa, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Chhabi Lal Bishwokarma, Lal Babu Pandit and Goma Devkota.
Nembang, Ram Bahadur Thapa, Surendra Pandey, Yubaraj Gyawali and Ashta Laxmi Shakya were proposed as vice-chairs. Bhusal has filed candidacy for vice-chair which means election will be held for all the posts of vice-chair.
Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Raghubir Mahaseth, Chhabi Lal Bishwokarma, Lekh Raj Bhatta, Yogesh Bhattarai, Gokarna Bista and Padma Aryal were proposed for secretary. But Bhim Acharya, who was elected secretary in the last general convention but has not been picked as office-bearer by Oli, and Tanka Karki have filed nomination for the post of secretary leading to election for all posts of secretary.
