Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The establishment faction of the Nepali Congress (NC) has stepped up efforts to resolve the ongoing dispute over whether the party’s general convention should be held before the elections.
After meeting party president Sher Bahadur Deuba on Friday morning, leaders close to the establishment factions held discussions with General Secretaries Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma later in the afternoon. They say the Central Work Execution Committee meeting scheduled for 3 pm on Friday will resume the impasse.
On Friday morning, as many as 25 central committee members met Deuba at his residence in Maharajgunj and urged him to take necessary initiatives to prevent the party from heading toward a split. The meeting focused on the uncertainty and controversy surrounding the timing of the regular general convention ahead of the elections.
Central Committee member Dila Sangroula said Deuba made it clear that he does not want the party to split. “He said the party should move forward in unity,” she said.
Following the meeting with the party president, establishment leaders held talks with the two general secretaries. “We discussed the issue of a special convention and the signature campaign linked to it,” Sangroula said, adding that the general secretaries appeared inclined to address the demand for a special convention. “Now the Central Work Execution Committee will take the necessary decisions.”
The dispute intensified after ward-level conventions scheduled for Wednesday were affected. This prompted Thapa and Sharma to announce the postponement of the general convention through a joint statement on Thursday. They have also moved ahead with preparations to hold a special general convention on January 11.
NC had earlier announced to hold its 15th General Convention in Kathmandu on January 10-12.
The Central Work Execution Committee is expected to find a solution to resolve the ongoing convention-related dispute.
