CPN-UML politburo endorses statute amendment proposal

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, July 20: The politburo meeting of the ruling CPN-UML concluded on Saturday, endorsing the proposal to amend the party’s statute.

The meeting held at the party headquarters in Chyasal, Lalitpur, endorsed the amendment proposal presented by Vice-Chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel by including the suggestions of the Politburo members, said Rajendra Gautam, head of UML’s Publicity Department and Standing Committee member, after the meeting. 

Announcing the decisions of the two-day politburo meeting, Gautam said, “The politburo has endorsed the statute amendment proposal with general feedback from members. The main changes include scrapping the dual membership rule and removing the age limit,” said Gautam. 

Earlier, the CPN-UML had fixed retirement age in the party at 70.  Now the provision has been revoked. A total of 68 politburo members participated in the discussion on Friday and Saturday. According to Gautam, the proposal will first be presented at the party’s central committee meeting slated for Monday. 

After the central committee discusses it, the proposal will be sent to the provincial and local committees for feedback, he said adding, “Based on inputs from all levels, the party will prepare a final draft of the statute amendment.”

The final draft will be presented at the party’s Statute Convention, scheduled for September 5-7 in Lalitpur.

Regarding the renewal of former President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s party membership, Gautam said that the issue remains unresolved, citing that it invoked Articles 8 and 9 of the party statute.

“Her membership renewal is currently pending. Since she had resigned from the party to assume the post of the President, the matter requires a thorough discussion under Articles 8 and 9,” he explained.

Article 8 pertains to individuals who voluntarily resign from the party, while Article 9 addresses cases involving special assignments or appointments.

“There is no final decision yet. The issue has been deliberated from multiple angles and will be addressed in an appropriate forum or we can say a bigger forum,” Gautam said.

 “There is a debate on whether individuals who resign voluntarily, or someone who left due to an assignment from the party, can return to the party. The party will decide on this at the right time,” he added. 

According to Gautam, there is no situation in which the party needs either special insistence or bias for or against the former President. The party, having entrusted her with respected position, making her the guardian of the Constitution and Commander-in-Chief, has widely debated what effect the involvement of someone who has stood at the centre of everything could have on the system. 

 Former President Bhandari’s announcement of her return to party politics has fuelled a debate in UML, dividing the leaders for and against her announcement. The issue was discussed both in the secretariat and politburo meetings. 

Similarly, during the meeting, former Communication Minister and Politburo member Gokul Baskota suggested building a reliable foundation to resolve the dispute within the party.

Leader Baskota urged Chairman Oli and former President Bhandari to resolve the dispute through dialogue.

"The trust and cooperative relationship between the party chairman and the former President is known not only to the UML members but to the world," he said. "Resolve the issues through political dialogue, it is not only a technical matter."

He also called on the second-generation leaders to take the initiative in resolving problems.

“Those who claim to belong to the second generation should show their ability to reconcile; we too are capable and ready to compete with you,” Baskota was quoted. He further advised against any disruptive activities within the party at this time.

Meanwhile, former minister and a Politburo member Mahesh Basnet claimed that he presented a 10-point proposal in the politburo meeting.

His proposals, which he posted on Facebook, range from advising that the former President should not return to active politics to forming active liaison committees in districts experiencing rapid internal migration.