Nepal: KP Sharma Oli’s CPN-UML enters closed session in Kathmandu to elect new leadership

Dec 14, 2025

Kathmandu (Nepal), Dec 14 (ANI): The closed-door session of the 11th General Convention of the Communist Party of Nepal–Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) has begun in Kathmandu to select the party’s new leadership. The session started at 3 PM local time after the inauguration ceremony held in Bhaktapur and will continue over the next two days.Former Nepali Prime Minister and party chair K.P. Sharma Oli is facing a leadership challenge from Senior Vice-Chair Ishwor Pokharel. While Pokharel has formally declared his candidacy for the chairmanship, neither side has announced an official leadership panel so far. Pokharel is reportedly backed by a faction aligned with former President and former party Vice-Chair Bidhya Devi Bhandari, sparking speculation of a possible “Ishwor–Bidhya” panel within the party.Under its current organisational structure, the CPN-UML has 15 office bearers, including one chairperson, three vice-chairs, one general secretary, three deputy general secretaries, and seven secretaries. The General Convention of the CPN-UML, the largest communist party in Nepal, is being held against the backdrop of the Gen-Z protests in September that led to a regime change in the Himalayan nation. The 11th General Convention, currently led by K.P. Sharma Oli, will continue until December 15 and is being attended by 2,262 representatives from across Nepal. The election process, closed-session modality, and leadership formation framework were finalised at a central secretariat meeting held on Friday.