The Secretariat meeting of the CPN-UML, scheduled for Saturday, has been postponed at the last minute after party Chairman KP Sharma Oli fell ill.
“Since the chairman is unwell, a message was sent informing that the meeting has been postponed,” said party secretary Yogesh Bhattarai. The meeting is now expected to be held on Sunday. A Secretariat meeting had also taken place on Friday at Oli’s residence in Gundu, Bhaktapur.
During Friday’s meeting, several leaders demanded that Chairman Oli step down, arguing that the party should move forward under new leadership following the developments after the incidents of Bhadra 23 and 24.
Vice-Chairpersons Ashtalakshmi Shakya and Yubraj Gyawali had submitted written opinions suggesting that Oli resign. Similarly, Senior Vice-Chair Ishwar Pokharel and Vice-Chairpersons Ram Bahadur Thapa and Bishnu Paudel also raised the issue of reorganizing the party.
However, Vice-Chair Guru Baral, General Secretary Shankar Pokharel, and Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali defended Oli, saying that it was not the time to oppose his leadership during a crisis. After the meeting, Gyawali told journalists that a proposal to hold the party’s general convention soon would be presented in the next session.
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