Nepali Congress divided over whether to hold convention before or after Mar 5 polls

Kathmandu, Jan 7 (PTI) Nepali Congress dissidents on Wednesday announced to hold a special convention “to bring about overall change with a new and energetic leadership” next week, ahead of the general election, against the party's scheduled May event.

General secretaries of the Nepali Congress (NC), GaganThapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma, also reminded the party's current leadership of a letter signed by 54 per cent of the general convention delegates submitted last month demanding a special convention on January 11 and 12 instead of the already announced regular, 15th general convention on May 11-14.

“It is necessary to convene the Special Convention of the Nepali Congress to build a stronger organisation of the party in the changing political situation, to formulate the party's policy as per the people's aspiration and to bring about overall change in the party with a new and energetic leadership,” Thapa and Sharma said in a joint statement here.

Former president Sher Bahadur Deuba led Nepali Congress is the largest party in the dissolved House of Representatives (HoR), elections for which are to be held on March 5.

The tussle between supporters of Special Convention and regular General Convention of the party reached its climax on Tuesday, when a group of dissident members of the party misbehaved with senior leader and former vice president Bimalendra Nidhi at the central office of the party at Sanepa in Lalitpur district, according to sources close to Nidhi.

“As per the party's statute, signatures of 40 per cent delegates suffice to call a Special Convention,” central committee member of NC Arjun Narsing Kesi said.

“As we have already collected signatures of 54 per cent delegates, it is mandatory for convening the Special Convention as per the party's constitution,” Kesi, a senior leader of the party, told PTI.

As many as 54 per cent of around 4,400 general convention delegates of the party had signed the letter and submitted it in December first week to the party president demanding the Special Convention in January.

However, chief secretary of the party Krishna Prasad Paudel argued, “as the party has already published the schedule for the regular general convention for May 11- 14, there is no need to convene the Special Convention.” The two contrasting stands have led to a serious division in the party over the issue of calling the convention before or after the general election.

According to sources close to general secretary Thapa, the organisers of the Special Convention have already booked venues at Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu for January 11 and 12.

“We are convening the Special Convention to address the demands of the Gen Z youths, who raised their voice during the two day movement on September 8 and 9 against corruption and nepotism,” Kesi said.

“Through holding the Special Convention we want to convey the message that we are with the Gen Z youths and we respect the changing aspirations of the people,” he said. “We are against corruption, nepotism, political mismanagement and we prefer transparency and good governance.” NC chief secretary Paudel said: “The party’s Central Working Committee meeting held on January 2 had decided to proceed with the regular 15th General Convention from May 11 to 14, as the rationale for holding a special general convention has ended.” “We have already circulated the decision to all the subordinate committees of the party and preparations for the same have already begun,” he pointed out.

Political observers warn that ongoing confrontation over the issue of general convention could push the party toward a serious split. However, Kesi ruled out the possibility of splitting the party at the moment.

One of the main issues raised by the September's Gen Z movement was change in leadership in the traditional parties as the youth were tired of seeing the same old faces in the big parties, who have been ruling the country by rotation like a musical chair.

With the rise of new political forces such as Rastriya Swotantra Party, which brought Gen Z youths, Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah as well as other popular faces including Kulman Ghising, the current energy minister, it would pose a big challenge to the traditional parties like the Nepali Congress and K P Sharma Oli-led Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML).

Oli resigned on September 9 following violent protests by the youth-led Gen Z group against his government over corruption and a ban on social media. Sushila Karki’s interim government recommended to the president to dissolve the HoR and hold a general election on March 5. PTI SBP NPK NPK