Kathmandu, Sept. 6 -- The second policy convention of the CPN-UML kicked off in Lalitpur on Friday with party chairman and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli proposing "Nepali style of Socialism" in his political report.

This is a kind of policy departure in the UML from the party's core principle of people's multiparty democracy propagated by the late Madan Bhandari. In his new document, Oli states that socialism with Nepali characteristics will adopt a competitive, people-oriented, and transparent economic policy.

The party will discuss Oli's new proposal, as well as former President Bidya Devi Bhandari's attempt to reenter UML politics, in the next two days. An emotional letter was distributed on behalf of Bhandari at the policy convention...