Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The 15th General Convention of the Nepali Congress is kicking off in Kathmandu on Sunday.
The country’s oldest democratic party is electing a new leadership through the convention amid an unresolved dispute over its legitimacy and a parallel convention being pursued by former President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s faction.
According to the convention schedule, the five-day convention will be inaugurated at 2 p.m. at Khula Manch, Kathmandu. Closed-door sessions are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, with elections for the new Central Working Committee set for Wednesday and Thursday.
More than 7,500 representatives—elected by active party members through federal and provincial constituency-level conventions, as well as from various sister wings— are expected to participate in the general convention.
According to NC spokesperson Devraj Chalise, this makes this convention the largest ever in the party’s history
The convention is being led by party President Gagan Thapa, who was elected at a special convention in January that replaced the leadership headed by Deuba. The move triggered a dispute over the legitimacy of the new Central Working Committee.
While the Election Commission recognized the Thapa-led committee in January, and the Supreme Court later upheld that decision, the top court subsequently agreed to review its ruling, leaving the leadership dispute unresolved.
The Deuba faction had filed a petition at the Supreme Court to stop the process of the 15th General Convention initiated by the party’s establishment faction. However, the Supreme Court rejected the plea, paving the way for the party leadership to proceed with the convention process.
In response, the Deuba faction has announced a parallel convention for December 7-9.
