Kathmandu- Voting has begun at the ongoing 11th National Congress of the CPN (UML), though the process started about an hour later than the scheduled time of 8:00 am.
The leadership election is being held at Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu. The national congress, which aims to elect a new leadership and central committee, was inaugurated last Saturday by party Chairperson KP Sharma Oli at Sallaghari in Bhaktapur.
KP Sharma Oli and Senior Vice-Chairperson Ishwar Pokharel are contesting for the post of party chair. Oli is seeking re-election for a third consecutive term.
According to party officials, a total of 660 leaders have filed candidacies for the 301-member central committee. Voting is being conducted using 80 electronic voting machines, and 2,263 representatives are participating in the convention.
The leadership contest is taking place against the backdrop of the September 8–9 Gen Z movement, which had a significant impact on national politics and led to Oli stepping down as prime minister of a coalition government. The congress is being closely watched amid debate within the party over continuity versus change in leadership.
The Oli faction has argued that the party and the country are facing adverse circumstances that require experienced leadership, while Pokharel and his panel have maintained that Oli should step aside in view of growing anti-incumbency sentiment, particularly after the Gen Z movement.
