- KR Bharat
- 2025-12-18
Former Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has been elected chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal–Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) for a third consecutive term, securing a two-thirds majority at the party’s 11th general convention.
The election comes just three months after Oli was ousted from government following student-led protests. Despite the setback, he consolidated his hold over the party by winning 1,663 votes, defeating rival Ishwor Pokharel, who secured 584 votes, party sources said.
The convention, held in Bhaktapur district, concluded on Thursday with the election of party office bearers and central committee members. Pokharel had the backing of former President Bidya Devi Bhandari.
Oli’s panel dominated the results, winning 17 of the 19 office bearer positions. Shankar Pokharel was re-elected as General Secretary, while key Vice President posts went largely to Oli loyalists, with Gokarna Bishta being the lone winner from the rival camp.
Following the announcement of results, Oli’s supporters took out a victory procession in Kathmandu’s Bhrikutimandap.
KP Sharma Oli has led the CPN-UML for over a decade and had earlier won the chairmanship at the ninth and tenth party conventions, reaffirming his long-standing dominance within Nepal’s largest communist party.
