The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (;
abbr.
An abbreviation (from Latin ''brevis'', meaning ''short'') is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method. It may consist of a group of letters or words taken from the full version of the word or phrase; for example, the word ''abbrevia ...
CPN (UML)) is the largest
political party in Nepal on the basis of memberships. As per the results of recent elections, ''CPN (UML)'' stands as the second largest party of Nepal at all levels of government. There have been four
prime ministers from the party while the party has led the government five times. CPN (UML) currently serves as the main coalition partner in the
Federal Parliament of Nepal and all of the seven
provincial assemblies. As of 2021, the party claims to have nearly 800,000 members.
CPN (UML) was the main opposition after the
first election following the restoration of
multi-party democracy. The party led a
minority government
A minority government, minority cabinet, minority administration, or a minority parliament is a government and cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in t ...
under
Manmohan Adhikari
Man Mohan Adhikari (Magi) ( ne, मन मोहन अधिकारी 9 June 1920 – 26 April 1999) was the 31st Prime Minister of Nepal from 1994 to 1995, representing the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist). He is the ...
following the
1994 election. The party joined a
coalition government
A coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate to form a government. The usual reason for such an arrangement is that no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election, an atypical outcome in ...
with
CPN (Maoist) Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) may refer to:
* Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) is the former name of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), until 2009.
* Communist Party of Nepal (Revolutionary Maoist), founded June 2012
* Unified Comm ...
in 2008 in the first elections after the
end of monarchy in Nepal and led two governments under
Madhav Kumar Nepal
Madhav Kumar Nepal ( ne, माधवकुमार नेपाल, ; born 6 March 1953), is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister of Nepal. He served as Prime Minister of Nepal from 25 May 2009 to 6 February 2011 for nearly two years. ...
and
Jhala Nath Khanal during the term of the
1st Constituent Assembly. The party also led the first government after the promulgation of the
new constitution with
KP Sharma Oli
Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli ( ne, खड्गप्रसाद शर्मा ओली, ; born 22 February 1952) is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister of Nepal. He served three terms as prime minister from 11 October 2015 to 3 Aug ...
serving as prime minister. Oli again served as prime minister following the
2017 election.
The party was formed in January 1991 after the merger of the
Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist) The Communist Party of Nepal was founded in Calcutta, India, on 15 September 1949.
Communist Party of Nepal may also refer to:
* Communist Party of Nepal (2006)
* Communist Party of Nepal (2013)
* Communist Party of Nepal (2014)
* Communist Party ...
and the
Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist). The party merged with
CPN (Maoist Centre)
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) (), abbreviated CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN Maoist Centre, or CPN (MC), is the third largest political party in Nepal. It was founded in 1994 after breaking away from the Communist ...
to form the
Nepal Communist Party on 17 May 2018 but the new party was dissolved and CPN (UML) was revived by a
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
decision on 8 March 2021.
History
Origins and early years, 1991–1993
The
United Left Front was formed in 1990 to protest the
Panchayat system
Panchayat ( ne, पञ्चायत) was a partyless political system incepted by King Mahendra by sidelining the Nepali Congress government of B. P. Koirala on 15 December 1960 AD (1st Poush 2017 BS). He introduced the partyless Panchayat sys ...
and restore
multi-party democracy. They organized a joint movement with the
Nepali Congress, and
King Birendra
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज वीरेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह देव ) (28 December 1945 – 1 June 2001) was the tenth Shah Ruler and the King of N ...
yielded to their
Jana Andolan
The 1990 People's Movement ( ne, २०४६ जनआन्दोलन, 2046 Jana Andolan) was a multiparty movement in Nepal that brought an end to absolute monarchy and the beginning of constitutional monarchy. It also eliminated the Panch ...
in November 1990. Two constituents of the
United Left Front,
CPN (Marxist) and
CPN (Marxist–Leninist), merged on 6 January 1991 to form the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) before the
1991 elections, and the
United Left Front became inactive.
In the 1991 elections, the party won 69 of 205 seats and was the second-largest party in the
House of Representatives.
Man Mohan Adhikari was elected head of the parliamentary group, and became the
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
in May 1991. On 28 June 1991,
CPN (Burma) which had reconstituted itself after breaking away from
CPN (United) merged into the party. The fifth party congress was held in
Kathmandu
, pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name =
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
in January 1993, and
People's Multiparty Democracy
People's Multiparty Democracy (, abbreviated ) refers to the ideological line of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), Unified Socialist Party and Nepal Communist Party. It was proclaimed in 1993. This thought abandons the t ...
was adopted as its main ideology.
The same ideology of
People's Multiparty Democracy
People's Multiparty Democracy (, abbreviated ) refers to the ideological line of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), Unified Socialist Party and Nepal Communist Party. It was proclaimed in 1993. This thought abandons the t ...
theorized by
Madhan Bhandari made it one of the most prominent political parties in years to come. In the fifth party congress,
Adhikari was elected chairman, and
Madan Bhandari
Nepal Ratna Man Padavi Madan Kumar Bhandari ( ne, मदन कुमार भण्डारी) (27 June 1951K.C., Surendra. ''Aitihasik dastavej sangroh - bhag 2''. Kathmandu: Pairavi Prakashan, 2063 B.S.. p 464. – 17 May 1993), commonl ...
was elected general secretary.
Bhandari
Bhandari or Bhandary or Bhanderi is a surname found in various Hindu castes and communities in India and Nepal. Bhandari or Bhanderi means ''treasurer'', keeper of a storehouse. In Punjab, Bhandaris belong to the Khatri caste. In Nepal, the su ...
was killed in a vehicle accident in
Chitwan later that year, and
Madhav Kumar Nepal
Madhav Kumar Nepal ( ne, माधवकुमार नेपाल, ; born 6 March 1953), is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister of Nepal. He served as Prime Minister of Nepal from 25 May 2009 to 6 February 2011 for nearly two years. ...
became the party's general secretary.
In November 1993,
CPN (Amatya) led by
Tulsi Lal Amatya, which had also broken off from
CPN (United), merged into the party.
First government and split, 1994–1997
After the
mid-term elections in
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nels ...
, the party won 88 of 205 seats in a
hung parliament
A hung parliament is a term used in legislatures primarily under the Westminster system to describe a situation in which no single political party or pre-existing coalition (also known as an alliance or bloc) has an absolute majority of legisla ...
and formed a minority government under
Man Mohan Adhikari.
The government lasted for nine months after Adhikari was forced to resign when he lost a
no-confidence motion
A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...
in September 1995. The party was back in the government in March 1997, after supporting the Lokendra Bahadur Chand-led
Rastriya Prajatantra Party government. Following dissension in the RPP,
Lokendra Bahadur Chand resigned and CPN (UML) returned to the opposition.
The party faced its first split in March 1998, after disagreements about a
water-sharing agreement with India. The new party formed with 46 legislators from the mother party as the
Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist), under the leadership of
Bam Dev Gautam
Bam Dev Gautam ( ne, बाम देव गौतम) is a Nepalese politician and the former Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal. A member of CPN (Unified Socialist), Gautam is a former Senior vice Chairman of Communist Party of N ...
. The party joined the government again in December 1998, backing the
Girija Prasad Koirala-led
Nepali Congress–
Nepal Sadbhawana Party
The Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP; ne, नेपाल सदभावना पार्टी) was a political party in Nepal that worked for rights of the Madhesi people and discriminated communities and groups of Nepal.
On 21 April 2017, the ...
coalition government
A coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate to form a government. The usual reason for such an arrangement is that no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election, an atypical outcome in ...
.
In the
1999 elections, the party won 70 of 205 seats and was the second-largest party in the
House of Representatives.
Reunification and direct rule, 2002–2006
Most members of the
Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist) rejoined the parent party on 15 February 2002, while other members led by
Chandra Prakash Mainali
Chandra Prakash Mainali more commonly known as C. P. Mainali (born August 22, 1951, in Chokpur, Taplejung District) is a communist politician in Nepal and former Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal.
Political life
Jhapa revolt
In the early 19 ...
decided to restructure
the party.
The party's seventh general convention was held in
Janakpur on February 1–6, 2003. The convention decided to abolish the post of party chair, vacant after the death of
Man Mohan Adhikari and
Madhav Kumar Nepal
Madhav Kumar Nepal ( ne, माधवकुमार नेपाल, ; born 6 March 1953), is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister of Nepal. He served as Prime Minister of Nepal from 25 May 2009 to 6 February 2011 for nearly two years. ...
was unanimously reelected as general secretary of the party.
When
King Gyanendra dissolved Parliament and sacked Prime Minister
Sher Bahadur Deuba of Nepali Congress in 2003, five other parties protested his decision. However, when Deuba was reinstated CPN (UML) joined the provisional government with
Bharat Mohan Adhikari as deputy prime minister. This government was dissolved by the king on 1 February 2005 and
Seven Party Alliance
The Seven Party Alliance was a coalition of seven Nepali political parties seeking to end autocratic rule in the country. They spearheaded the Loktantra Andolan.
The alliance was made up of the following parties:
* Nepali Congress
* Nepali Con ...
was formed to protest his decision. Following an agreement with the
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), a
joint struggle was launched against the king's direct rule. On 10 April 2006, the parliament was
reconvened by the king and a government was formed under Congress leader
Girija Prasad Koirala.
1st Constituent Assembly, 2008–2012
In the
2008 Constituent Assembly elections, the party won 108 of 605 seats and finished third.
Madhav Kumar Nepal
Madhav Kumar Nepal ( ne, माधवकुमार नेपाल, ; born 6 March 1953), is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister of Nepal. He served as Prime Minister of Nepal from 25 May 2009 to 6 February 2011 for nearly two years. ...
resigned as general secretary, and was replaced by
Jhala Nath Khanal. The party backed
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) candidate
Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and joined his government in August 2008. Khanal was elected party chairman and
Ishwor Pokhrel
Ishwor Pokhrel ( ne, ईश्वर पोखरेल) is the current senior Vice-president of CPN (UML). Pokhrel has also served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal. He was also Minister of Defence in the Second Oli cabinet.
He also serve ...
general secretary by the eighth general convention in
Butwal in February 2009.
In early May 2009, the CPN (UML) joined several other parties in leaving Dahal's
coalition government
A coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate to form a government. The usual reason for such an arrangement is that no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election, an atypical outcome in ...
after he sacked Army Chief of Staff
Rookmangud Katawal. Following their withdrawal, they formed a new
coalition government
A coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate to form a government. The usual reason for such an arrangement is that no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election, an atypical outcome in ...
with the
Nepali Congress and the
Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum under Madhav Kumar Nepal. Nepal resigned in June 2010 after failing to draft a new constitution. Following more than seven months of political stalemate, Khanal was elected
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
in February 2011 with support from the
UCPN (Maoist)
The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), abbreviated UCPN (Maoist), (Nepali: एकीकृत नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी (माओवादी)), was a political party in Nepal. It was founded ...
.
He resigned in August after he failed to reach a consensus with the other parties on drafting a new constitution and the peace process.
The party joined the next government, led by
Baburam Bhattarai, on 28 August 2011. On November 2012,
Ashok Kumar Rai broke away from the party along with other
indigenous leaders and formed the
Federal Socialist Party
Federal Socialist Party () was a political party of Nepal led by Ashok Rai formed in 2012.
History
Ashok Rai who was the vice-chair of CPN (UML) and Rajendra Prasad Shrestha, a central committee member of the party, broke away from the CPN (UM ...
claiming that the party failed to address their concerns during the discussions for promulgation of the constitution.
2nd Constituent Assembly, 2013–2017
Following Bhattarai's dissolution of the
1st Constituent Assembly after its failure to draft a new constitution before the deadline, the CPN (UML) became the second-largest party after winning 175 of 575 elected seats in the
2013 elections. The party joined a coalition government under
Sushil Koirala with the ruling
Nepali Congress and the
Rastriya Prajatantra Party. In July 2014,
Khadga Prasad Oli became party chair after he defeated
Madhav Kumar Nepal
Madhav Kumar Nepal ( ne, माधवकुमार नेपाल, ; born 6 March 1953), is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister of Nepal. He served as Prime Minister of Nepal from 25 May 2009 to 6 February 2011 for nearly two years. ...
in the party's ninth general convention.
The new constitution was delivered by the coalition government government on 20 September 2015. After the new constitution was drafted,
Sushil Koirala resigned and party chairman
Khadga Prasad Oli was elected prime minister with support from the UCPN (Maoist), the
Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal and other parties. Oli resigned in July 2016 before a motion of no confidence supported by the
Nepali Congress and the
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) (), abbreviated CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN Maoist Centre, or CPN (MC), is the third largest political party in Nepal. It was founded in 1994 after breaking away from the Communist P ...
.
In the
2017 local elections, 14,099 councilors, including 294 municipal mayors and rural chairs, were elected from the party to local governments. Candidates for the party were elected as mayors in
major cities
The United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the cities proper, the extent of their urban area, or their metrop ...
, including the two largest cities
Kathmandu
, pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia
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, subdivision_type = Country
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, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
and
Pokhara Lekhnath.
1st Federal Parliament, 2017-2022
Left alliance and dissolution, 2017–2018
UserThe party announced an alliance with the
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) (), abbreviated CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN Maoist Centre, or CPN (MC), is the third largest political party in Nepal. It was founded in 1994 after breaking away from the Communist P ...
before the
2017 legislative and
provincial elections. The party won 121 seats, becoming the largest party in the
House of Representatives, and became the largest party in six of Nepal's seven provinces. After the election, the party maintained its alliance with the
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) (), abbreviated CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN Maoist Centre, or CPN (MC), is the third largest political party in Nepal. It was founded in 1994 after breaking away from the Communist P ...
and formed
coalition government
A coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate to form a government. The usual reason for such an arrangement is that no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election, an atypical outcome in ...
s in Nepal's centre and
six of the seven provinces. According to the power-sharing agreement, the CPN (UML) would lead governments in
Province 1,
Province 3,
Province 4 and
Province 5. In accordance with the agreement
Sher Dhan Rai,
Dormani Paudel,
Prithivi Subba Gurung and
Shankar Pokharel were appointed as chief ministers of their respective provinces.
In the 6 February 2018
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the r ...
election, the CPN (UML) won 27 of 56 contested seats and again became the country's largest party. Party chairman Oli was elected the party's parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives and appointed prime minister on February 15.
Bidya Devi Bhandari
Bidya Devi Bhandari (, ; born 19 June 1961) is a Nepali politician who is serving as the second and current president of Nepal. She formerly served as the minister of defence and minister of environment and population.
She is the first woman t ...
was re-elected
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
on March 13. After eight months of planning, the Unification Coordination Committee met to finalize plans for the merger of Nepal's biggest
left-wing
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
parties. On 17 May 2018, the party was dissolved and a new party, the
Nepal Communist Party was formed from the CPN (UML) and the
CPN (Maoist Centre)
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) (), abbreviated CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN Maoist Centre, or CPN (MC), is the third largest political party in Nepal. It was founded in 1994 after breaking away from the Communist ...
.
Revival and internal conflict, 2021
On 8 March 2021, the
Supreme Court of Nepal
The Supreme Court of Nepal ( ne, सर्वोच्च अदालत) is the highest court in Nepal. It has appellate jurisdiction over decisions of the seven High Courts (including eleven Benches of the High Courts) and extraordinary origin ...
stated that the allocation of the name ''Nepal Communist Party'' upon the merger of the CPN (UML) and
CPN (Maoist Centre)
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) (), abbreviated CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN Maoist Centre, or CPN (MC), is the third largest political party in Nepal. It was founded in 1994 after breaking away from the Communist ...
, and by extension the merger itself, was void ab initio, as the name was already allotted to a party led by Rishiram Kattel, and that the NCP stood "dismissed". The
Election Commission
An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
on 9 March 2021 formally split the party and the CPN (UML) was revived.
Four members of the
House of Representatives and one member of the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the r ...
for CPN (Maoist Centre) also defected to CPN (UML) during the split but were dismissed as parliamentarians following their defection.
KP Sharma Oli
Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli ( ne, खड्गप्रसाद शर्मा ओली, ; born 22 February 1952) is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister of Nepal. He served three terms as prime minister from 11 October 2015 to 3 Aug ...
lost a
no-confidence motion
A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...
on 9 May 2021 but was reappointed as prime minister four days later after the opposition failed to prove a majority. Chief minister of Gandaki,
Prithvi Subba Gurung resigned before a no-confidence motion and chief Minister of Lumbini,
Shankar Pokharel also lost a no-confidence motion but were similarly reappointed after the opposition failed to prove their majority.
A
cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filin ...
meeting chaired by
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
and party chairman
KP Sharma Oli
Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli ( ne, खड्गप्रसाद शर्मा ओली, ; born 22 February 1952) is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister of Nepal. He served three terms as prime minister from 11 October 2015 to 3 Aug ...
recommended the president to dissolve the House of Representatives on 22 May 2021 after members of his party led by former prime ministers
Madhav Kumar Nepal
Madhav Kumar Nepal ( ne, माधवकुमार नेपाल, ; born 6 March 1953), is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister of Nepal. He served as Prime Minister of Nepal from 25 May 2009 to 6 February 2011 for nearly two years. ...
and
Jhala Nath Khanal supported
Nepali Congress leader
Sher Bahadur Deuba as the next prime minister. The Supreme Court reinstated the House of Representatives on 12 July 2021 and Oli resigned from his post the next day and Deuba was appointed prime minister. Twenty-two members of the CPN (UML) voted for Deuba during his confidence vote defying the party whip.
The party also lost its government in
Gandaki and
Lumbini with Gurung losing a
no-confidence motion
A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...
and Pokharel resigning. Province 1 chief minister, Sher Dhan Rai and Bagmati chief minister Dormani Paudel were replaced in August of that year after losing support within their parliamentary party. They were replaced by
Bhim Acharya
Bhim Acharya (Nepali: भिम आचार्य) secretary of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), is the former Chief minister of Province No. 1. Governor Somnath Adhikari appointed Bhim Acharya as the chief minister as per ...
and
Asta Laxmi Shakya respectively who were elected by the parliamentary party.
Opposition and splits, 2021–2022
On 25 August 2021, former prime ministers
Madhav Kumar Nepal
Madhav Kumar Nepal ( ne, माधवकुमार नेपाल, ; born 6 March 1953), is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister of Nepal. He served as Prime Minister of Nepal from 25 May 2009 to 6 February 2011 for nearly two years. ...
and
Jhala Nath Khanal split from the party along with 55 members of the Central Committee, 25 members of the House of Representatives and seven members of the National Assembly and formed the
CPN (Unified Socialist)
The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) (), abbreviated as CPN (Unified Socialist) is a political party in Nepal. Former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal is the chairman of the party and former Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal serves as ...
. Following the split, the party lost its majority in Bagmati and Province 1 and Shakya and Acharya resigned following which the party was in opposition in all seven provinces.
The
10th National Convention of the party was held in
Chitwan between 26 and 29 November 2021. The convention reelected
KP Sharma Oli
Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli ( ne, खड्गप्रसाद शर्मा ओली, ; born 22 February 1952) is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister of Nepal. He served three terms as prime minister from 11 October 2015 to 3 Aug ...
as the party chair.
Hridayesh Tripathi
Hridayesh Tripathi ( ne, हृदयेश त्रिपाठी) is a Nepalese politician, belonging to the People's Progressive Party. He's also the current chairman of the party.
A former Minister of Health and Population Tripathi has w ...
who had been elected to the House of Representatives from the CPN (UML) formed a separate party, the
People's Progressive Party in December 2021.
Bamdev Gautam who served as the senior vice-chairman left the party in September 2021 and in June 2022 announced the formation of
CPN (Unity National Campaign).
2022 elections (2022-present)
In the
2022 local elections, 11,929 councillors were elected from the party including 206 mayors and rural chairs. The party lost their mayoral seats in
Kathmandu
, pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name =
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
and
Pokhara
Pokhara ( ne, पोखरा, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. It is the List of cities in Nepal, second most populous city of Nepal after Kathmandu, with 518,452 inhabitants living ...
and failed to win the mayoral elections in any of the six metropolitan cities in the country.
The party formed electoral pacts with
People's Socialist Party,
Rastriya Prajatantra Party and other minor parties to contest the
2022 general and
provincial elections. Former deputy prime minister and
Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal chair
Kamal Thapa also contested the election under the party's electoral symbol. Influential leaders and incumbent members of parliament including
Bhim Rawal
Dr. Bhim Bahadur Rawal ( ne, डा.भीम बहादुर रावल) commonly known as Bhim Rawal is a Nepali politician, former Deputy Prime Minister & Defence Minister of Nepal in Second Oli cabinet. He served as the Minister of Hom ...
,
Ghanashyam Bhusal
Ghanashyam Bhusal ( ne, घनश्याम भूसाल)( born on September 11, 1961) in Pidikhola, Syangja district, is a Nepalese Politician and serving as the Member Of House Of Representatives (Nepal) elected from Rupandehi 3 constitu ...
and
Ram Bir Manandhar
Ram Bir Manandhar ( ne, राम विर मानन्धर) is a Nepalese politician belonging to Aam Janata Party.
Manandhar is a former State Minister for Minister of Urban Development. Manandhar was a member of 2nd Nepalese Constitu ...
were denied tickets from the party. Bhusal and Manandhar later filed their candidacy as independents. Leaders associated with former MP
Prabhu Sah who had joined the party from
CPN (Maoist Centre)
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) (), abbreviated CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN Maoist Centre, or CPN (MC), is the third largest political party in Nepal. It was founded in 1994 after breaking away from the Communist ...
in 2021 also decided to contest the election as independents following dissatisfaction with the electoral pact with People's Socialist Party in
Madhesh
Madhesh Province ( Nepali/ mai, मधेश प्रदेश) is a province of Nepal that was formed after the adoption of the Constitution of Nepal. It is Nepal's most populous province, and smallest province by area. It borders Province N ...
. The three leaders were later supported by the Democratic Left Alliance during the elections.
Ideology
The guiding principle of the party is
Marxism–Leninism
Marxism–Leninism is a communist ideology which was the main communist movement throughout the 20th century. Developed by the Bolsheviks, it was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, its satellite states in the Eastern Bloc, and vario ...
and it supports a
socialism
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes th ...
oriented economy but within the confines of a
parliamentary system
A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of th ...
of governance. The party had adopted the line of
People's Multiparty Democracy
People's Multiparty Democracy (, abbreviated ) refers to the ideological line of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), Unified Socialist Party and Nepal Communist Party. It was proclaimed in 1993. This thought abandons the t ...
which was proposed by
Madan Bhandari
Nepal Ratna Man Padavi Madan Kumar Bhandari ( ne, मदन कुमार भण्डारी) (27 June 1951K.C., Surendra. ''Aitihasik dastavej sangroh - bhag 2''. Kathmandu: Pairavi Prakashan, 2063 B.S.. p 464. – 17 May 1993), commonl ...
at the party's 5th National Convention in 1993.
The party supports the establishment of a
welfare system that guarantees
social security
Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifical ...
and
social justice
Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals ...
to all citizens.
Symbol
The
election symbol
An electoral symbol is a standardised symbol allocated to an independent candidate or political party by a country's election commission for use in election ballots.
Usage
Symbols are used by parties in their campaigning, and printed on ballot ...
of CPN (UML) is the sun which is also present in the party logo.
The
hammer and sickle
The hammer and sickle (Unicode: "☭") zh, s=锤子和镰刀, p=Chuízi hé liándāo or zh, s=镰刀锤子, p=Liándāo chuízi, labels=no is a symbol meant to represent proletarian solidarity, a union between agricultural and industr ...
, a common symbol of communism, is also used in the party flag and logo. The party constitution determines that a golden
hammer and sickle
The hammer and sickle (Unicode: "☭") zh, s=锤子和镰刀, p=Chuízi hé liándāo or zh, s=镰刀锤子, p=Liándāo chuízi, labels=no is a symbol meant to represent proletarian solidarity, a union between agricultural and industr ...
inside a red sun is the party's logo.
Organisation
Central organisation
The National Convention is the supreme body of CPN (UML) and it is organized every five years by the party's Central Committee. The national convention elects the central secretariat and the central committee of the party. The convention also discusses and approves political documents, organisational proposals and amendments to the party constitution.
The Central Committee of the party is the highest decision making body within general conventions and is responsible to the national convention. The National Convention elects a Central Secretariat consisting of a chair, a senior vice-chair, six vice-chairs, one general secretary, three deputy general secretaries and seven secretaries. The Central Secretariat along with other elected members make up the 301-member Central Committee of the party. The chairs of the seven provincial committees of the party are also ex-officio members of the Central Committee. One-third of the committee is also required to be female. The Central Committee also elects a 99-member
Politburo
A politburo () or political bureau is the executive committee for communist parties. It is present in most former and existing communist states.
Names
The term "politburo" in English comes from the Russian ''Politbyuro'' (), itself a contracti ...
and a 45-member
Standing Committee among its members.
When the Central Committee is not in session the Politburo is the highest decision making body, the Standing Committee follows the Politburo in hierarchy and the Central Secretariat follows the Standing Committee. The National Convention also elects a Central Disciplinary Commission, a Central Accounts Commission and a Central Electoral Commission. A Central Advisory Council can also be formed by the Central Committee if needed.
Provincial and local organisation
Party committees exist at the
provincial,
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...
, local, ward and neighborhood level. In addition to this the party has a separate special committee in the
Kathmandu Valley
The Kathmandu Valley ( ne, काठमाडौं उपत्यका; also known as the Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley ( ne, नेपाः उपत्यका, Nepal Bhasa: 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑑅 𑐐𑐵𑑅, नेपाः गाः)), ...
which is in the same level as the provincial committees in the party. The provincial committee holds a provincial convention every four years and the rest of the committees hold a convention every three years except for neighborhood committees which hold a convention every two years. The convention elects the leadership and members of the committee which is the supreme decision making body in between conventions. The party also has organisational committees for areas where the party does not have presence yet.
Electoral performance
Legislative elections
Provincial Assembly elections
Province 1
Madhesh
Bagmati
Gandaki
Lumbini
Karnali
Sudurpaschim
Local election
Leadership
Chairmen
*
Man Mohan Adhikari, 1991–1999
*
Jhala Nath Khanal, 2009–2014
*
Khadga Prasad Oli, 2014–2018, 2021–present
General secretaries
*
Madan Bhandari
Nepal Ratna Man Padavi Madan Kumar Bhandari ( ne, मदन कुमार भण्डारी) (27 June 1951K.C., Surendra. ''Aitihasik dastavej sangroh - bhag 2''. Kathmandu: Pairavi Prakashan, 2063 B.S.. p 464. – 17 May 1993), commonl ...
, 1993
*
Madhav Kumar Nepal
Madhav Kumar Nepal ( ne, माधवकुमार नेपाल, ; born 6 March 1953), is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister of Nepal. He served as Prime Minister of Nepal from 25 May 2009 to 6 February 2011 for nearly two years. ...
, 1993–2008
*
Jhala Nath Khanal, 2008–2009
*
Ishwor Pokhrel
Ishwor Pokhrel ( ne, ईश्वर पोखरेल) is the current senior Vice-president of CPN (UML). Pokhrel has also served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal. He was also Minister of Defence in the Second Oli cabinet.
He also serve ...
, 2009–2018, in 2021
*
Shankar Pokhrel, 2021–present
Prime Ministers of Nepal
Chief Ministers
Province 1
Bagmati Province
Gandaki Province
Lumbini Province
Sister organizations
*
General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions
* Youth Association of Nepal
*
All Nepal National Free Students Union
* All Nepal Women's Association
* All Nepal Peasants Association
* All India Nepalese Free Students Union
* Nepal National Teachers Association
* National People's Cultural Forum
* Democratic National Organization of Persons with Disabilities–Nepal
See also
*
Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist)
*
Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist) (1986–91)
*
Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist) (1998)
The Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist) is a political party in Nepal and a splinter group from the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) formed on March 5, 1998. Sahana Pradhan was the chair of the party and Bam Dev Ga ...
*
Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist)
The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) (), abbreviated as CPN (Unified Socialist) is a political party in Nepal. Former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal is the chairman of the party and former Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal serves as ...
* Communist Party of Nepal (Unity National Campaign)
*
Nepal Communist Party
*
List of communist parties in Nepal
The Communist Party of Nepal is a name used by a number of Nepalese political parties claiming allegiance to communism. Most trace their roots back to the original Communist Party of Nepal formed in 1949.
Active parties
National parties
...
References
External links
* (in English and Nepalese)
Information on the party from FES
{{DEFAULTSORT:Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)
1991 establishments in Nepal
2018 disestablishments in Nepal
2021 establishments in Nepal
Communist parties in Nepal
Political parties disestablished in 2018
Political parties established in 1991
Political parties established in 2021
International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties