The CPN-UML central committee meeting has formally closed the matter regarding former president Bidya Devi Bhandari’s comeback to the party, rejecting her announcement to return to active politics.
On the second day of the meeting held at the party headquarters in Chyasal, Lalitpur, UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli clarified on Tuesday midnight that there was no possibility of bringing Bhandari back into active party politics.
Rajendra Gautam, head of the party’s publicity department, said after the meeting that the party decided to accord Bhandari high respect as a former president but ruled that she should not return to politics.
“The party said that Bhandari cannot return to active politics, citing reasons including Bhandari’s having served as the supreme commander of the army, been a symbol of the republic, and been conferred with the Republic Pride Honor,” Gautam said.
However, party Vice-chairs Surendra Pandey and Yuvaraj Gyawali, and standing committee member Karna Thapa expressed dissent over the decision.
“Let’s not make such a decision. It won’t bode well. It will have long-term effects on the party. Instead, assign responsibility to one of us. Even if she is to be barred from joining politics, let’s do it through consultation,” Pandey argued.
Another Vice-chairman, Gyawali, proposed not rushing a decision and suggested that it could be done through the secretariat.
Thapa also attempted to voice his dissent, but Oli stopped him, saying, “Decisions haven’t been announced yet; speak when there’s something in the decision to discuss.”
While addressing questions raised by central committee members, Oli said that Bhandari’s party membership renewal was flawed.
“She apparently got her membership renewed through someone else,” a leader present at the meeting quoted Oli as saying, “The renewal is flawed according to the party’s statute, and it wasn’t even done by her. This cannot happen without the party’s decision.”
Oli recounted that Bhandari was conferred with the “Republic Pride Honor”, adding, “She was honored with the ‘Republic Pride’ in the presence of all party leaders considering her above party politics. We should all respect a person who has been the head of an institution established after overthrowing the king. The party respects her.”
However, Oli clarified that the party cannot make Bhandari its chairperson under the current circumstances.
The meeting, which began at 11 a.m. on Tuesday and lasted over 12 hours until midnight, ultimately barred Bhandari from returning to active party politics.
