The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), also known as CPN-UML, CPN(UML), is one of the largest communist parties in Nepal. It was created on January 6, 1991 through the unification of the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist) and the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist). CPN (UML) was a product of the Jana Andolan (People's Movement) uprising where communists, together with the Nepali Congress, played the leading role in the installment of a constitutional democracy in Nepal.

The fifth party congress (and the first one after the unification, the four first being of the original Communist Party of Nepal) was held in Kathmandu in January 1993. People's Multiparty Democracy was adopted as the party programme. Madan Bhandari was elected General Secretary and Man Mohan Adhikari was elected Chairman. Later the same year Bhandari died in a vehicle incident at Dashdhunga in Chitwan. After Bhandari's death, Madhav Kumar Nepal was elected General Secretary, and he remained in post until 2008.

In December 1994, CPN(UML) formed a minority government, which lasted nine months. Man Mohan Adhikari was elected Prime Minister and Madhav Kumar Nepal became Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 1997, CPN(UML) participated in a non-Nepali Congress government, with a faction of the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party and the Nepal Sadbhavana Party, and held the Deputy Prime Ministership.

In March 1998, CPN(UML) suffered a severe split over the Mahakali Treaty treaty with India. Those opposing the treaty broke away and formed Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist) led by Bam Dev Gautam. The vertical split caused much harm to the party; in the 1999 parliamentary election, CPN(UML) merely got 31.61% of the votes whereas the rival faction only secured 5% of total votes.

On February 15 2002, CPN(UML) and CPN(ML) were reunited. Following the merger, CPN(ML) leaders Sahana Pradhan, Bamdev Gautam and Radha Krishna Mainali were nominated to the standing committee of CPN(UML). Siddhilal Singh, Ashok Rai, Trilochan Dhakal, Kiran Gurung, Gopal Sakya, Kamal Cholagai, Rajendra Shrestha and Sitananda Raya were appointed full members of the central committee. Kamal Koirala, Hemraj Rai and Yogendra Shas were appointe alternative central committee members.^[1][2]

The 7th general convention of CPN(UML) was held in Janakpur, February 1-February 6 2003. The convention decided to abolish the post of party chair, a post vacant after the death of Manmohan Adhikari. Madhav Kumar Nepal was re-elected unopposed as General Secretary of the party. The convention elected a Central Committee consisting of Ashok Rai, Jhalanath Khanal, Bharat Mohan Adhikari, Sahana Pradhan, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Subhas Nembang, Modnath Prashrit, Krishna Gopal Shrestha, Amrit Kumar Bohara, Pradeep Nepal, Bam Dev Gautam, Yuvraj Gyawali, Rajendra Pandey, Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Astha Laxmi Shakya, Keshab Prasad Badal, K.P. Sharma Oli, Shankhar Pokhrel, Radha Krishna Mainali, Pradeep Gyawali, Ishwor Pokhrel, Kashinath Adhikari, Bishnu Poudel, Siddhi Lal Singh, Mukund Neupane, Shanta Manavi, Surendra Pandey, Rajendra Shrestha, Kiran Gurung, Yuv Raj Karki and Raghu Pant, Suresh Karki, Bhim Rawal, Dhanendra Basnet, Hem Raj Rai, Bishnu Rimal, Trilochan Dhakal, Bhim Acharya, Kedar Neupane, Urbadutta Pant, Govinda Prasad Koirala, Gopal Shakya and Ramchandra Jha. 12 alternate members of the Central Committee were also elected: Chabbi Lal Biswokarma, Tul Bahadur Gurung, Urmila Aryal, Rakam Chemjong, Pashupati Chaulagain, Gokarna Bista, Prakash Jwala, Mahendra Pandey, Naresh Kharel, Ratneswore Goit, Puruswottam Poudel and Ramji Sharma.^[3][4][5]

When King Gyanendra in 2003 dissolved parliament and sacked Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN(UML) took a leading part in the formation of the 5-parties protest movement. However, once Deuba had been reinstalled as Prime Minister, CPN(UML) joined the provisional government. This government was dissolved by Gyanendra in 19th Magh of the same year. In 2006, CPN (UML) was a major part of the Seven Party Alliance and the Loktantra Andolan.

CPN(UML) advocates a moderate leftist attitude. It played a major role in bringing Maoists to the negotiating table. However, the party has not been able to maintain a firm stance on issues, particularly during drafting the interim constitution, which showed a dual nature of the leadership. For the April 2008 Constituent Assembly election, the party rejected the proposal of electoral alliance with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), citing its own popularity among people, and it decided to compete in all constituencies. It turned out to be a grave mistake, as the CPN(UML)failed to secure a single place out of 10 in the Kathmandu district, once considered to be its lal-killa (??? ??????), or stronghold region. The biggest shock to the party was that General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal was defeated in an election by Jhakku Prasad Subedi of the CPN(M), who had been viewed as having very little popularity. Following his defeat, Madhav Kumar Nepal submitted his resignation from the post of General Secretary of the party, the post he held for 15 years. The CPN (UML) won a total of 103 seats in the election (out of 575 elected seats), placing third behind the CPN (M) and the Nepali Congress. The party left the government after the election, citing the "clear will of the people" expressed through the election as the reason.

Following the resignation of M. K. Nepal, the post of General Secretary of the CPN (UML) was filled by Jhala Nath Khanal.

See also

• Politics of Nepal
• History of Nepal

Mass organizations

• General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT)
• Democratic National Youth Federation, Nepal (DNYF)
• All Nepal National Free Students Union(ANNFSU)
• All Nepal Women's Association (ANWA)
• All Nepal Peasants Association (ANPA)
• All India Nepalese Free Students Union (AINFSU)
• National Teachers Association
• National People's Cultural Forum

References

External links

• Official website
• leaders of UML
• Info on the party from FES

bn:????? ????????? ?????? (?????? ???????????-?????????) br:Strollad Komunour Nepal (Marksour-Leninour Unvan) ca:Partit Comunista del Nepal (Unificat-Marxista-Leninista) da:Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) es:Partido Comunista de Nepal (Marxista-Leninista Unificado) fa:??? ??????? ???? (????????-??????? ????) fr:Parti communiste du Népal (marxiste-léniniste unifié) hi:????? ?????????? ?????? (?????) it:Partito Comunista del Nepal (Unificato Marxista-Leninista) nl:Communistische Partij van Nepal (Verenigd Marxistisch-Leninistisch) ne:????? ?????????? ?????? (?????? ???????????-?????????) ja:????? (????) no:UML nn:UML fi:Nepalin kommunistinen puolue (yhdistynyt marxilais-leniniläinen) ta:????? ??????????? ????? (????????????-?????????? ????????) tl:CPN(UML) de:Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)