Voting to elect new leadership under the 11th National Convention of the Communist Party of Nepal–Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) concluded on Thursday morning, with a turnout of 98.4 percent, according to the Central Election Commission.
Voting began at 9:15 am on Wednesday at Bhrikutimandap and concluded at 6:45 am on Thursday. Out of a total of 2,263 convention delegates, 2,227 cast their votes, while 36 delegates were unable to participate.
Although the voting process took longer than scheduled, the Election Commission stated that it was completed peacefully and in an orderly manner. A total of 80 electronic voting machines were used for the election.
The Election Commission informed that vote counting is expected to begin no earlier than 10:00 am, as technical procedures, documentation, data verification, and consensus formalities are currently underway.
Through this convention, a 301-member Central Committee of the CPN-UML will be elected. A total of 642 candidates are contesting for central committee membership. For the post of party chairperson, incumbent chair KP Sharma Oli and vice-chair Ishwar Pokhrel are in direct competition, each leading their respective panels.
The selection of new leadership is being closely watched, as it is expected to shape the party’s future political direction and organizational structure. The party’s upcoming course is anticipated to become clearer once the election results are announced.
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