Maoist to Hold Special Convention, UML Faces Leadership Questions

The CPN (Maoist Centre) has decided to hold a special convention in late December to select new leadership, while the CPN-UML is facing increasing pressure over leadership questions.

The decision was made during the Maoist Centre’s central office-bearers meeting on Sunday, which transformed the Central Committee into an organizing committee for the special convention. Party chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal will serve as the coordinator of the organizing committee. The Central Committee meeting scheduled for September 25 (9 Ashwin) will finalize the convention date.

Deputy General Secretary Barshaman Pun confirmed that the proposal for the convention will be presented at both the Standing and Central Committees. “This convention will hand over leadership to the younger generation,” he said, noting that growing pressure after the Jan-G movement pushed Dahal to propose the leadership transfer.

Dahal Ready for Transition

At the start of the meeting, Dahal said he was ready to reorganize the party under the leadership of the youth. “I am prepared to entrust the party to the younger generation and remain as a guardian. The special convention will ensure open competition for leadership,” he was quoted as saying by a party official.

Although the Maoists held their 8th General Convention in December 2021 (Poush 2078 BS), it failed to transfer leadership. Demands for a directly elected central committee and leadership were set aside due to Dahal’s reluctance at the time. Leaders such as Deputy General Secretary Janardan Sharma and Secretary Ram Karki had already raised the issue of leadership handover as early as mid-2024 (Saun 2081 BS).

During Sunday’s meeting, Sharma proposed that Dahal and all top office-bearers resign and hand over responsibility to senior leaders to conduct the special convention. “To ensure youth representation and leadership in the convention, all top leaders must step aside and let an interim directive committee guide the process,” Sharma argued.

Youth leader Madhav Sapkota welcomed the decision, saying: “This is a happy moment for the younger generation. The party will be stronger through a combination of experienced and young leadership.”

The Maoist Centre has also abandoned its demand for parliament reinstatement and decided to contest the election announced for March 5, 2026 (21 Falgun 2082 BS). “We will create an environment for elections and also push forward anti-corruption and anti-dynasty agendas,” Pun added.

Leadership Debate in UML

Meanwhile, leadership concerns have surfaced within the CPN-UML, though no formal discussions have yet been held. Some leaders have demanded that KP Sharma Oli, who resigned as Prime Minister following the Jan-G movement, also step down as party chair.

Oli, who spent ten days in army barracks after the protests, has now moved to Gundul, Bhaktapur. UML leaders confirmed that discussions are ongoing to hold a Central Secretariat meeting soon to review the overall political situation, party policy, and possible leadership restructuring.

UML Vice-Chair Surendra Pandey stressed the need for serious introspection: “Why was the government unaware of such a massive uprising? Who failed in responsibility? First, we must review the entire incident. The party cannot run in the old style anymore—it needs restructuring both organizationally and ideologically.”

Secretaries Yogesh Bhattarai and Gokarna Bista have also publicly supported party restructuring and leadership renewal. However, the UML’s statute convention in mid-September (20–22 Bhadra) amended provisions to allow Oli to continue as chair, removing both the two-term limit and the 70-year age cap.

Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari had emerged as a potential challenger to Oli, while other leaders—including Vice-Chairs Yuvraj Gyawali, Surendra Pandey, Asta Laxmi Shakya, Standing Committee member Binda Pandey, and central members Ushakiran Timilsena and Arbind Singh—had been calling for leadership transfer while retaining the age limit.

The younger and middle-generation leaders are now preparing to make leadership transfer the central agenda of UML’s next general convention. “The time has come for youth leadership. Only new leaders can fulfill the people’s demand for change,” central member Padam Giri said, adding that “youth leadership will be the defining agenda of the next convention.”