”If it is in the interest of the party, let's not stop anyone from filing their candidacy. But I urge both sides not to 'panelize'.” - Binda Pandey
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Standing Committee member Binda Pandey, who faced action last year after speaking out against the decision to build the UML central office through donations, is preparing to run for the post of Deputy General Secretary at the party's general convention.
She insists that at least 33 percent of UML office bearers and 40 percent of other committees should have women. Binda Pandey Kantipur's Ganga BC had a conversation focused on the general convention:
How are you prepared for the leadership competition in the UML general convention?
I am discussing with my representative friends. I am meeting them. Everyone's suggestion is that I should be nominated for office bearers. I have also told my friends that I will not be running for secretary. There is a suggestion that you should run for any other post. I have not made a final decision.
Are you going to run for senior vice-chairman Ishwor Pokharel?
The media is writing that you are in favor of Ishwor Pokharel. The entire CPN-UML is in favor of this party and that party. So far, we understand that there are two candidates for the presidency. How many are interested in other positions? We will know that after filing their candidacies. But my request is that we let the interested representatives nominate themselves.
But my request is that ‘you should not create divisions among the leaders and workers by announcing panels.’ Who will nominate for which position can be consulted. But it is still my understanding that ‘this so-and-so, that so-and-so panel’ is not in the interest of the party in order to create divisions among the representatives.
So, are you preparing to nominate yourself independently?
There is competition based on personal considerations, but now, in terms of ideas, friends who think that what is happening now is right can also nominate themselves. This should be taken collectively. It should be taken in collaboration. Friends who believe that the party should be run according to methods can now nominate themselves for all positions.
But if you don't 'panelize' it, it will be easier for the delegates too. Whoever wins tomorrow, it will be easier for the winners to work. Whoever is defeated. I think it will be easier to include the defeated. If it is in the interest of the party, let's not stop anyone from running. But I urge both sides not to 'panelize'.
What preparations are you making for more women representation in the office bearers and the central committee?
First of all, women candidates should be ready to be nominated. Our Women's Association keeps saying loudly that this much should be enough until the general convention. Now, when the general convention is right around the corner, 'you should formally If a decision has been made, that decision should also go in favor of the leadership,' and no matter what the leadership says tomorrow, we should have made that claim and filed our candidacy. Preparations for that should have been made now. What is the Women's Association doing? I don't know. The main point is that the organization that leads our women's movement should at least file its candidacy from a strategic perspective. At the 8th General Conference, we had passed the one-third proposal. In the election, many friends nominated only in the women's quota. Not a single one filed their candidacy in the open quota. At that time, our male comrades said, 'You will not file your candidacy, you will demand one-third?' This also happens. Even now, when we make formal decisions based on the calculation of our women's movement, it has been decided that at least one-third of the office bearers and then at least 40 percent of the other members should be women. This is exactly the time to implement it.
Will there be healthy competition for leadership selection?
That will be known after going to the general convention. I do not see anything that should be unhealthy competition in this. But I have not seen the expressions that have come so far as unhealthy competition. In this sense, this is internal competition within the party. Leadership should be built on the basis of competition and superiority through the initiative of those who walk with the multi-party democracy of the common people in mind. No one needs to make unhealthy expressions and unhealthy behavior in this.
What percentage of women should be in the leadership now?
Our political party act states that at least one-third of women should be in all decision-making levels and other levels. We have kept one-third of the members at all levels since the general convention. But that has not been reflected in the final decision-making mechanism.
If we can move towards a situation where the number of women in the party's internal mechanisms, including the office bearers, secretariat, standing committee, politburo, and central committee, does not decrease by more than one-third, it can be considered somewhat progressive. If we cannot move beyond just increasing the number of attendees, the CPN-UML cannot be different from others in terms of women's participation.
