The Nepal Intellectual Council has submitted a recommendation to CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli, concluding that the party’s leadership should be immediately transferred.
The council, which is aligned with UML intellectuals, has stated that since holding a national general convention at present is not feasible, the leadership should be handed over through a Central Committee meeting. According to sources, the decision taken during the Secretariat meeting on September 17 regarding leadership transfer has already been conveyed to both Chair Oli and General Secretary Shankar Pokharel.
“A recommendation letter prepared on the basis of decisions made by the Council’s Secretariat meeting has been submitted to the chair and the general secretary,” a source said. The Council concluded that, in light of the widespread anger against UML following the Gen Z revolt, the party must undergo restructuring.
The Council’s letter reads: “Since it is not technically possible to hold a general convention immediately to formally transfer leadership, it would be appropriate to take a decision as soon as possible through the existing executive Central Committee within the framework of the current statute.”
The recommendation further emphasised the need for building new leadership. “Respected leaders who have already contributed significantly to the country and the movement in various leadership roles in the past should now assume guardian-like positions, guiding and training the new leadership with their knowledge and experience,” the letter stated.
The second point of the letter provides suggestions regarding criteria and procedures for candidate selection in the upcoming election scheduled for March 5. The third point contains the Council’s self-assessment.
It admits shortcomings, stating that it failed to conduct adequate prior study on the country’s political developments and could not provide timely recommendations to the party. “A serious self-review has been conducted regarding the past role of the Nepal Intellectual Council as an integral body of the party,” the letter submitted to Oli says. “We accept as our weakness the inability to anticipate and study in time the high-level anger among GenZ and the conspiracies of various power centers among adversaries, and thereby failing to offer the party appropriate suggestions.”
Following the GenZ revolt, Oli resigned from the post of prime minister and took security protection inside a military barrack for 10 days. Since September 18, he has been living in Gundu, where he has been meeting UML leaders individually. The Council submitted the letter urging him to step down from leadership while in Gundu.
