Former President Bhandari should not return to party politics, says UML CC

Kathmandu, July 23: The ruling CPN (UML) has concluded that a former president, who has served as the Head of State and the Supreme Commander of the Nepal Army, should not return to active party politics.

The party's central committee meeting that concluded late night on Tuesday that it is was not appropriate for someone who has already become the Head of State and the patron of the republic to rejoin active politics, Rajendra Gautam, the party's publicity department chief, said.

At a press conference organized at the party's central office in Chyasal, Lalitpur following the CC meeting, Gautam said the central committee has concluded that it is against the Constitution, and norms and values of the party.

The CC has also removed the age limit of 70 years as well as the two-term limit, paving the way for current Chair and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to extend his term as the party chair. This decision will be formalized after it is passed in the upcoming statutory convention.

According to Gautam, Vice-chairmen Surendra Pandey and Yubaraj Gyawali and standing committee member Karna Bahadur Thapa had expressed their disagreement over the decision to not allow former president Bhandari to re-join the party.

The meeting also unanimously passed the statute amendment report by Vice-chair Bishnu Prasad Poudel and the organizational proposal report by General Secretary Shankar Pokharel.  (RSS)