The 11th general convention of the CPN-UML is set to see a competition between two factions for the leadership. Chairman KP Sharma Oli has moved forward to take the leadership for a third term, while Senior Vice President Ishwor Pokharel is preparing to compete against him. Pokharel has already formally announced that he will have a 'healthy' competition for the chairmanship at the general convention to be held in Kathmandu from November 10 to 12.

After announcing that he would compete for the post of chairman in the last secretariat meeting, the issue of leadership selection has been given priority in the general convention within the UML. ‘I have considered competing for the post of chairman in this general convention.’ Pokharel said, ‘My candidacy is not targeted at any person.’

Pokharel, speaking to Kantipur, said that since the method of competition has been established within the party since the past, there is no need to accept it otherwise. ‘I have said that I will compete for the post of chairman.’ It is not a matter of accepting it otherwise,’ he said, ‘Every representative who meets the qualifications is eligible for the competition.’ Oli, who has served two terms as chairman and who paved the way for a third term as chairman by amending the statute for the next term in the third week of Bhadra, said in the same meeting that he had to become chairman.

After the provision that only two terms can be served in an executive position and the age limit of 70 years has been removed from the statute, the way for him to become chairman for a third term has been opened for him. At the secretariat meeting on Thursday, Oli argued that he should be the candidate for the chairman in the upcoming general convention and said that healthy competition for leadership selection is the method of the past. But since the leaders who competed with him are not in the UML, he stressed that the competition for leadership selection should be made healthy.

‘We have been competing in the past. But the people who competed in the past did not remain in the party,’ he said, ‘Let’s compete healthily for leadership. Let’s unite the party.’ Oli said at the announcement program of the ‘National Volunteers Force’ on Friday that the general convention to select leadership should be united.

He indicated that it would be better to go together than compete for leadership selection. In the eighth general convention held in Falgun in 2065, there was a competition between Oli and Jhalanath Khanal for chairman. At that time, Oli was defeated by Khanal. Ishwor Pokharel was elected as the general secretary. In the ninth general convention held in Kathmandu in Asad 2071, Oli and Madhav Nepal were in competition, and Oli was elected as the president. Pokharel was elected as the general secretary.

Similarly, in Manj 2078, Oli was elected for a second term in the competition for the president between Oli and Bhim Rawal. Pokharel was elected as the senior vice president and Shankar Pokharel as the general secretary. Pokharel played a role in helping Khanal win in the eighth general convention and Oli win in the ninth general convention. Pokharel, who was the general secretary in the eighth and ninth general conventions, is preparing to face Oli this time. In the tenth general convention, he was unanimously elected as the senior vice president, at Oli's request.

Since the UML was formed under Oli's leadership, the leaders who competed with him, Khanal, Nepal and Rawal, have left the party after the party's 'democratic centralism' came under his control. These three leaders have joined the Nepali Communist Party led by former Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. In the central secretariat meeting that lasted until Thursday night, Oli had warned Pokharel in roundabout language, saying that the leaders who competed with him had left the party.

KP Oli's message was, "If you stay in UML, don't compete. If you leave the party, contest the election for the presidency with me." A secretariat member said, "Ishwar Pokharel is ready to take a risk against Oli."

In the secretariat meeting, Pokharel had said that Oli's style of work did not have a positive impact from the center to the local level. That is why he said that he wanted to be a candidate for the presidency. Former President Bidya Bhandari renewed her membership to lead the UML, but Oli postponed it.

Former President Bhandari's support for Pokharel, who else is aspiring?

If her membership had been renewed, Bhandari was ready to run against Oli. After Bhandari's membership renewal was postponed, senior vice-chairman Ishwar Pokharel is preparing to file his candidacy for the post of president in his support.

After repeated discussions among leaders of Bhandari's party, preparations are underway to put Pokharel in competition with Oli. He has also started his homework to form his panel. Vice-chairmen Yubaraj Gyawali, Ashtalakshmi Shakya, Surendra Pandey, secretaries Yogesh Bhattarai, Gokarna Bista and Raghubir Mahaseth have already expressed their support for Pokharel.

Similarly, Binda Pandey is also preparing to file her candidacy in Pokharel's support. There is talk of Surendra Pandey being the candidate for the post of vice-chairman from Pokharel's panel. Secretaries Bhattarai and Bista are aspiring for the post of general secretary. Leaders say that Binda Pandey will file her candidacy for the post of secretary. Gyawali and Shakya have not shown interest in filing their candidacy in the general convention. Pokharel's side has stated that it will field candidates for all the posts as possible in Bhandari's 'backup'.

Old faces in Oli's team

Oli himself is ready for the post of president from the establishment side. It is said that Bishnu Poudel is preparing to field a candidate again for the post of vice president, while there is talk of Shankar Pokharel being re-elected as general secretary. Deputy general secretaries Pradeep Gyawali and Prithvisubba Gurung have also shown aspirations for the post of general secretary. Leaders say that if Pokharel is re-elected as general secretary, Gyawali and Gurung may be promoted to vice president.

Deputy general secretary Bishnu Rimal has also wanted a promotion. Oli will also have to manage vice president Ram Bahadur Thapa and secretary Lekhraj Bhatta, who are former Maoists.  Secretary Padma Aryal is likely to be appointed as a woman deputy general secretary. The aspirants for the post of secretary include Bhim Prasad Acharya, Lalbabu Yadav, Kiran Gurung, Bhanubhakta Dhakal, Khagaraj Adhikari, Sherdhan Rai and Rajan Bhattarai. It seems that Oli himself should decide who will be the candidate for which post from Oli's side. Leaders are seen waiting for Oli's decision. The 251-member central committee, only 15 office bearers The statutory general convention held in the third week of Bhadra has reduced the number of office bearers from 19 to 15. The national general convention has an arrangement to elect a 251-member central committee including the chairman, 3 vice-chairmen, general secretary, 3 deputy general secretaries, and 7 secretaries, and the chairmen of the provincial committees will be ex-officio members of the central committee. There will be a competition for these posts in the 11th general convention.

The Constitutional General Convention had abolished the post of Senior Vice President held by Ishwor Pokharel, saying that ‘the system where the outgoing chairman of the Central Committee automatically becomes a senior leader, i.e. an unelected person becomes the second-priority official of the Executive Committee, is against the spirit of the democratic system.’ The arrangement of the Central Secretariat has been removed and the 15-member office bearers have been converted into a standing committee.

The structure of the Politburo and the Central Committee will remain. There will be an 84-member Politburo, one-third of the 251. Since there will be no standing committee at the General Convention, many leaders will remain in the Politburo. There will be a big competition for the 15-member office bearers. The 11th General Convention of the UML is being held in Kathmandu from Mangsir 10 to 12.

Pokharel says- I am preparing to compete for the post of chairman.

A brief conversation with Senior Vice President Pokharel, who is preparing to become a candidate for the chairman in the 11th general convention:

Are you a candidate for the chairman for the upcoming general convention?

There has been a competition for leadership selection in our party. I am also preparing to compete for the chairman.

Are you going to compete with Chairman KP Sharma Oli?

My competition for chairman is not for any specific person. It is for the post of chairman. It is natural to have competition with whoever is the candidate for chairman at that time. Competing within the party's rules should not be considered otherwise.

It is said that former President Bidya Bhandari has supported you in this competition, right?

Bidya Bhandari will definitely support you. I believe that all other friends will also support you.

There is an example of Madhav Nepal, Jhalanath Khanal, Bhim Rawal, who competed with Chairman Oli in the past, not surviving in the party?

Chairman KP Oli also said in the meeting that there should be healthy competition in any post. He said that the results of the competition should be accepted easily. The results should be accepted by taking the competition as a natural thing.