Sep 13, Kathmandu - Senior leaders of the CPN (UML) are reportedly engaged in clandestine meetings at their residence to resolve disputes over the report of the task force formed for party cleansing, strengthening, transformation, and reorganization. The discussions come amid ongoing disagreements over the recommendations related to the party’s future direction following its recent electoral defeat.

The task force, established on Falgun 21 to review the party’s poor show in the recent elections and propose reforms to improve relations with the public, has been the focal point of internal contention. According to Niraaj Acharya, head of the party’s Central Publicity and Publication Department, the leaders involved in these discussions are expected to return to Kathmandu by Sunday after completing their deliberations in Kavrepalanchok.

The controversy intensified after the task force, led by General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel, submitted a report that diverged from the separate recommendation drafted by Vice President and Coordinator Ram Bahadur Thapa. While Pokhrel’s report garnered majority support within the task force, consensus was elusive due to the agreement to prepare a unanimous report.

The task force, comprising 15 members, was formed during the eighth meeting of the UML Secretariat on Jestha 10, under the leadership of Vice President Thapa. Its first meeting on Jestha 26, attended by party Chairman KP Sharma Oli, laid out a schedule to gather suggestions from provincial levels.

Following the presentation of two conflicting reports last Friday, the task force is now preparing a comprehensive final report to be presented at the upcoming Secretariat meeting. This effort is crucial as the party gears up for its third full Central Committee meeting scheduled for Ashwin 5-7, which will decide on the next steps for the party’s future course.