Kathmandu. The Nepal Communist Party (UML) has concluded that a former president, who has also been the head of state and the Supreme Commander of the Nepal Army, should not return to party politics.
The party’s central committee meeting held on Monday concluded that it was not appropriate to make the issue of enforcing the constitution, making the head of state and the symbol of the republic a party cadre and leader, informed Rajendra Gautam, head of the party’s publicity department.
At a press conference organized at the party’s central office, Chyasal, after the meeting, chief Gautam expressed his respect for former president Bidya Devi Bhandari. “The former president is the head of the country, a symbol of national unity, and the guardian of the country,” Gautam said. “It is not in accordance with established values for such a person to be a leader or cadre of a political party. The Central Committee has concluded that this is against the constitution, spirit, and spirit of the party.”
A debate on the issue had begun after former President Bidya Devi Bhandari decided to return to active politics of the party. The Central Committee meeting concluded this and made it clear that the current party president KP Sharma Oli will continue as the president from the upcoming convention as well.
The meeting also cleared the way for Oli to become the party president by removing the age limit of 70 years and the two-term limit. This decision will gain legitimacy after it is passed by the statutory convention to be held in the upcoming Bhadra.
Most of the leaders who spoke at the party’s secretariat, politburo, and central committee meetings have suggested that the party’s focus should now shift to Mission-84 and move forward under the leadership of KP Oli for that. The formal decision of the party Central Committee is yet to be made public.
In the case of the former president, the questions that the public may raise tomorrow, such as the system He said that the party has come to the conclusion that it should not enter active politics to prevent questions that may arise. Gautam clarified that this decision was reached because a person who has reached a prestigious position like the President should not walk around carrying the flag of any party.
He said that this is not just an issue for UML but a serious issue for all parties. “We are all proud of the former President, we will take it forward,” he said.
He clarified that there will be no decrease in the respect the party has for former President Bidya Devi Bhandari. He reminded that in the party central committee meeting, party chairman KP Sharma Oli had already announced that Bidya Bhandari is no longer Comrade Bidya Bhandari but a respected former president.
According to Gautam, head of the publicity department, vice-chairmen Surendra Pandey and Yubaraj Gyawali and standing committee member Karna Bahadur Thapa have expressed their disagreement with the decision not to allow former President Bhandari to join the party.
In the meeting, 264 people, including the Politburo, discussed the statute amendment report of Vice-chairman Bishnu Prasad Poudel and the organizational proposal report of General Secretary Shankar Pokharel. The central members had expressed their views. The meeting unanimously passed the statute amendment report of Vice-Chairman Poudel and the organizational proposal report of General Secretary Pokharel. The same meeting decided to form 251 central members, including 15 office bearers and the Politburo. (RSS)