The Central Committee meeting of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) is being held at Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu, where internal debate has intensified over proposed amendments to the party statute.
Party Chairman KP Sharma Oli addressed the meeting, after which members of the Politburo, Standing Committee, and Central Committee began presenting their views. Leaders aligned with Chairman Oli raised the issue of amending the party statute during the session.
Although Chairman Oli himself did not formally submit a proposal to amend the statute, leaders close to him, including Khimalal Bhattarai, introduced the proposal from the floor. According to a party leader, Oli-aligned members had agreed during discussions held late the previous night to raise the statute amendment proposal directly during the meeting.
During the debate, several Central Committee members called for expanding the committee to either 301 or 351 members and for restructuring the party into a four-tier organizational system that includes a Standing Committee.
The meeting was convened by the Central Committee elected during the party’s 10th General Convention, despite the fact that the 11th General Convention has already begun. Leaders aligned with Senior Vice-Chairman Ishwar Pokharel stated that if statute amendment proposals are permitted from the floor, they should also be allowed to present alternative proposals.
Due to the ongoing dispute, the Central Committee meeting is expected to continue for some time. A closed-door session of the General Convention has been scheduled for 1:00 pm today.
