Oli’s convention

Delegates must think of their and their party’s long-term future when they vote for a new leader today.

The CPN-UML’s 11th general convention started with an open session at Sallaghari, Bhaktapur, on Saturday. The next day, the party’s central committee and later the convention delegates passed a proposal to expand the number of officebearers to 19, a move considered favourable to party chair KP Oli’s quest to hold on to power. It was not a surprise; in fact, considering how everything related to the convention has been favourable to Oli, people are forced to ask: Is this a UML convention or an Oli convention? The statute convention, held just three months ago, had lifted the 70-year age limit and the two-term moratorium for the party chair, enabling septuagenarian Oli to contest the position again. Earlier, former President Bidya Devi Bhandari was blocked from returning to active politics when she posed a threat to Oli’s stronghold. His already solid grip on the party has been further solidified with each of these political moves.