11th UML convention: Leaders scramble for key party posts

KATHMANDU, Dec 13: The 11th General Convention of the Nepal Communist Party (UML) has begun today (Saturday). This convention is being closely watched as the party maintains its stance of not allowing the democratic republic and multi-party competitive system to weaken in any way. The opening ceremony of the convention is being held at Tin Kune Chaur in Sallaghari, Bhaktapur.

In a Secretariat meeting held on Friday, UML accepted the supremacy of the second Statute Convention and decided that this national convention will have 15 central office-bearers and a 251-member central committee. In a departure from past practices, the entire current Secretariat (19 members) will serve as the presidium during the closing session of the convention.

Here are the names of leaders who are claiming different posts:

Chairperson

KP Sharma Oli

Ishwar Pokhrel

Koshi Province

Guru Baral, Yogesh Bhattarai, Bhim Acharya, Lalbabu Pandit, Sherdhan Rai, Hikmat Karki, Bhanubhakt Dhakal, Rajendra Gautam, Agni Kharel, Parshumeghi Gurung, Binod Dhakal, Vijay Subba, Bhagwati Chaudhary, Yagyanar Sunuwar, Vishal Bhattarai

Madhes Province

Raghuveer Mahaseth, Leela Shrestha, Suman Pyakurel, Purushottam Paudel, Julikumari Mahato

Bagmati Province

Ashta Lakshmi Shakya, Surendra Pandey, Ram Bahadur Thapa, Binda Pandey, Bishnu Rimal, Kashinath Adhikari, Raghuji Pant, Krishna Gopal Shrestha, Rajan Bhattarai, Sher Bahadur Tamang, Sita Kumari Paudel, Arun Nepal, Gokul Banskota, Surendra Manandhar, Mahesh Basnet, Binod Shrestha, Rachana Khadka, Usha Timalsina, Anand Pokhrel, Parbat Gurung, Ganesh Pahadi, Sarita Neupane

Lumbini Province

Yubaraj Gyawali, Bishnu Prasad Paudel, Shankar Pokhrel, Pradeep Gyawali, Gokarna Bist, Chhabilal Bishwakarma, Thakur Gaire, Leela Giri, Baijanath Chaudhary, Khim Lal Bhattarai, Surya Thapa, Ram Kumari Jhaankri, Shanta Chaudhary

Gandaki Province

Prithvi Subba Gurung, Padma Aryal, Kiran Gurung, Thammaya Thapa, Khagaraj Adhikari, Jagat Bishwakarma, Bidya Bhattarai, Bhagwati Neupane

Karnali Province

Yam Lal Kandel, Gorakh Bahadur Bogati, Bhairav Bahadur Shrestha

Sudurpaschim Province

Lekhraj Bhatt, Karn Thapa, Damodar Bhandari, Nirudevi Pal

From Central Committee

Madhav Dhungel, Jhapat Rawal, Kishor Vikram Mall, Navina Lama, Bishnu Rizal, Niraj Acharya, Bidya Bhattarai, Ushakiran Timalsina, Ain Mahar, Ramesh Paudel, and others

Debutants in Central Committee