KATHMANDU, July 20: The CPN-UML has decided to keep former President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s party membership issue on hold, citing the need for broader discussion on the implications of allowing individuals who have held the country’s highest constitutional positions to return to active party politics.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, UML Publicity Department Head Rajendra Gautam clarified that no decision has been taken regarding Bhandari’s membership renewal, despite the issue being raised during the party’s two-day Politburo meeting.
“Since Articles 8 and 9 of the party statute require careful deliberation on matters related to the dignity of the presidency and the broader political implications, the issue has been kept pending for now,” Gautam said.
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He further stated that the party will only make a decision after holding wider consultations and discussions in an appropriate forum. “There were various views expressed regarding the potential impact on our political system,” Gautam noted.
Gautam also dismissed recent rumors suggesting a new political alliance involving former President Bhandari, Nepali Congress (NC) leader Shekhar Koirala, and Maoist Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal. “Such reports are baseless and this matter did not come up in the meeting,” he clarified.
Meanwhile, the Politburo meeting unanimously endorsed a proposal to abolish the 70-year age limit for party leadership positions, amending Article 64 of the party’s statute. Similarly, it approved the merger of “organized member” and “party member” categories into a single membership structure to simplify the party’s organization.
The meeting also discussed upgrading district committees into executive committees in line with Nepal’s federal structure.
The proposed statute amendments will be presented to the UML Central Committee on July 20. Once endorsed, they will be circulated to lower party committees for feedback before being finalized at the upcoming Statute Convention.
