Nepal’s largest parties, the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, are preparing for their central committee meetings in the changed political context following the Gen Z protests on September 8 and 9.

The Congress has scheduled its meeting for October 12 at the party’s central office, while the UML will meet from October 13–15.

Both parties were in government until September 9. Before the dissolution of Parliament, the Congress and the UML were the biggest and second-biggest parties in the House of Representatives.

The Gen Z uprising has since ousted them from power, denting their reputation, influence and authority. Yet, Congress chief Sher Bahadur Deuba and UML chair KP Sharma Oli have not stepped down from party leadership. For this reason, the almost simultaneous meetings of the Congress and UML central committees carry particular significance.

In the Congress, a change in leadership is inevitable. The party’s statute itself restricts any individual from leading the party for more than two terms, which means Deuba will not be eligible to contest for party presidency for the next term, which lasts four years.

The party’s 14th General Convention was held in December 2021. This means, as per the regular schedule, the 15th General Convention should take place within this December. However, citing inadequate preparations, the party had initially planned to push the convention next year. In the changed context, though, there could be a special general convention before the new elections, which are scheduled for March 5.

In the UML, however, the party’s Statute General Convention, which concluded on September 7, paved the way for Oli to continue as party chair by removing the previous two-term limit and the age limit of 70 years.

Following the events of September 8–9, which toppled the Oli-led government, and amid growing criticism of his role in the bloody crackdown that left scores of protesters dead, Oli has shown no indication of stepping down from party leadership.

Some younger leaders are putting pressure on the party to respond to the Gen Z movement and the changed political reality. Yet Oli loyalists argue that strong leadership is needed in the current crisis and that replacing him now would be premature.

Not all young UML leaders are calling for immediate change in party leadership.

Bikash Shrestha, vice-chair of the UML-affiliated All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU), said that they support an investigation into the destruction and chaos of September 8 and 9.

Shrestha said that if the commission of inquiry formed by the interim government finds the party leadership at fault, the situation would be different. But until then, they would not push for new leadership.

“For now, we are not in the mood to push for a change in party leadership,” Shrestha said.

At the same time, UML Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai said that the upcoming central committee meeting will address broader issues, including party leadership and restructuring. Bhattarai said that the issue of leadership change would naturally arise in the course of discussions on reorganising the party .

Ahead of the October 13 meeting, the UML Secretariat will meet on October 10. Following the Gen Z movement, the UML had convened its secretariat meeting for the first time on September 28. That meeting decided that another secretariat meeting on October 5 would prepare the agenda for the Central Committee meeting. However, owing to the continuous rainfall across the country, the secretariat meeting has been postponed to October 10.

After the party’s second National Statute Convention on September 7, which scrapped the previous policy of two terms and the age limit of 70 years, Oli was allowed to continue as party chair. Although some leaders expressed dissatisfaction with this decision, majority members supported Oli’s continuation.

But after the Gen Z movement ousted him as prime minister and his government was blamed for the deaths of 19 protesters on September 8, UML dissidents have been strengthened.

Party secretary Padma Aryal said the upcoming central committee meeting will first analyse the recent political upheaval.

Leadership change is a matter for the general convention, Aryal said, adding that the upcoming central committee meeting will set the date for the 11th General Convention, where “leadership change will be the prime focus.”

Meanwhile, central committee member Krishna Bhakta Pokhrel has said that the central committee meeting will also discuss why the party, while in government, received no warning of the unrest and how circumstances led to nationwide protests.

As the central committee meeting draws nearer, Oli, on Tuesday, held a virtual discussion with the party’s district chairs from all 77 districts.

According to a UML leader who witnessed the virtual meeting, the district chairs still appear inclined to support Oli’s leadership.

“If the party fails to reform and continues to entrust its leadership to the old guard, it has no future,” the leader said on condition of anonymity. “There is an informal discussion among us about taking a firm stand against the leadership at the upcoming central committee meeting.”