Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli has decided to restructure the party’s Secretariat by increasing the number of office-bearers, as he faces competition from Senior Vice-chairperson Ishwar Pokhrel at the ongoing 11th general convention.
Oli convened a Central Committee meeting on Sunday morning, pushing the closed-door session—originally scheduled to begin on Sunday—by several hours to discuss and approve the statute amendment proposal.
While the meeting retained the 301-member Central Committee, it decided to increase the size of the Secretariat to 19 from the existing 17.
According to party leaders, the Central Committee decided to table a statute amendment proposal in the closed-door session to revise provisions approved by the statute convention three months ago.
The statute convention held in Godavari three months ago had reduced the number of office-bearers from 19 to 15.
Rajendra Gautam, chief of the UML’s Publicity Department, said the revised structure will include one chairperson, five vice-chairpersons, one general secretary, three deputy general secretaries, and nine secretaries. The position of senior vice-chairperson has been removed.
Under the new structure, the number of vice-chairpersons has been reduced from six to five, while the number of secretaries has been increased from seven to nine.
The move is seen as Oli’s attempt to accommodate leaders loyal to him by assigning them respectable roles amid concerns that they could switch camps if sidelined, as he faces a challenge from Pokhrel in the general convention.
