Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Dr Shekhar Koirala, who leads the anti-establishment faction in the Nepali Congress (NC), has insisted that the party’s 15th General Convention should be held before the 2027 elections.
Talking to journalists in Surkhet, Koirala said that the party’s position would weaken further if the general convention is pushed behind the elections. “It is therefore necessary to hold the general convention before the elections,” Koirala said. “I have been advocating this within the party.”
He added that he would contest the position of party president in the upcoming general convention as well. “I have already made it clear that I am a candidate for the party presidency,” he added. “The current term of the party’s Central Working Committee expires in December. It can be extended by a maximum of one and half years,” Koirala, who lost the election for party presidency to Sher Bahadur Deuba in 2020, said. “The general convention should be held within the timeframe.”
Koirala claimed that although the NC and CPN-UML formed the government with a seven-point agenda, including constitutional amendments, good governance and economic reforms, the government has failed to deliver on these promises. “I have been drawing the attention of leaders of both parties toward this,” he said.”If NC and UML fail to ensure good governance, address economic challenges and amend the constitution, the public will lose trust in them.”
The NC leader also said the federal government has failed to empower provincial governments. “The federal government must grant the rights guaranteed by the constitution to the provinces,” he added.
