Calls for a sweeping policy and leadership overhaul in the CPN-UML are growing, but party chair KP Sharma Oli is digging his heels in, leaving the party’s restructuring process in limbo.

While vice-chair Bishnu Paudel and general secretary Shankar Pokharel mount pressure on Oli to review policy and leadership, the former prime minister has brushed off the concerns, describing demands for a special convention or national representative council meeting as an ‘untimely tune’.

Speaking at a programme organised by the party’s Central Discipline Commission on Sunday, Oli argued that a review was unnecessary as the current leadership was elected by the 11th general convention held in December.

“I have made it clear that the party will not be restructured unless it faces a major crisis,” Oli said. “The word ‘restructuring’ is now being misused… Talk of a special general convention or a representative council meeting is an out-of-season tune.”

The intraparty dispute intensified after a task force led by vice-chair Ram Bahadur Thapa prepared recommendations on policy, leadership, organisation and working methods.

Based on discussions held in all seven provinces and the party’s departments, the task force’s member secretary Pokharel prepared a report of around 100 pages. It proposes a statute convention and a national general convention representative council meeting to discuss leadership restructuring.

A UML office-bearer said that Oli had objected to the word ‘restructuring’ and wanted it replaced with ‘revival’. Paudel and Pokharel, however, believe the recommendations cannot be substantially altered because they were based on suggestions from the grassroots.

“If legitimate suggestions coming from below are ignored, how can the party be restructured?” the office-bearer said, under the condition of anonymity. “It is appropriate to implement those suggestions.”

The report will be discussed at the next meeting of the central secretariat scheduled for the second week of September.

UML secretary Khagaraj Adhikari said that decisions regarding revival or restructuring cannot be made by any single leader. “Only the central committee can do that,” he said.

The party statute provides two possible institutional routes. Article 11 provides for a statute convention between two national general conventions. Delegates to the national general convention also serve as delegates to the statute convention, where they discuss political, organisational and statute amendment proposals. Article 12 provides for a national general convention representative council. The council reviews reports submitted by the central committee and other central bodies.

In the second week of April, leaders of the UML’s sister organisations—including the All Nepal National Free Students Union, Youth Association Nepal and Intellectual Council—had launched an informal signature campaign demanding a special general convention.

However, the party statute sets stringent requirements for organising such a convention. Article 72 requires a written demand, citing an agenda and reasons, from two-thirds of district committees or a majority of national general convention representative council members. If the conditions are met, the central committee must call it within six months. If it fails to do so, the demanding bodies can form an organising committee and convene it themselves.

This route is difficult because Oli retains a strong majority among delegates elected at the 11th general convention. Of 2,263 delegates, at least 1,132 would have to sign the demand. Ishwar Pokhrel, who challenged Oli for the chairmanship in the convention, had the support of roughly 600 delegates.

The restructuring debate gained force after the UML suffered a major electoral setback in March. Dissident voices grew, even if party arithmetic remained in Oli’s favour. Paudel, previously close to Oli, has pledged to restructure the party’s policies, leadership, organisation and working style in response to public expectations.

Meanwhile, UML secretary Mahesh Basnet has brushed off calls to remove Oli as party chair. “The rumour that the party chair would be replaced in the name of restructuring has now ended,” Basnet wrote on Facebook.

But Khimlal Bhattarai, a central committee member close to Paudel, said the issue had not been settled yet. “The issue of party restructuring has not ended,” he said. “The central committee will decide on that.”