Rationale for special convention over, say five NC provincial chiefs

KATHMANDU: Five provincial committee presidents of the Nepali Congress (NC) have said that the rationale for holding a special general convention has ended.

Issuing a joint statement on Monday, Uddhab Thapa of Koshi Province Committee, Krishna Prasad Yadav of Madhesh Province Committee, Indra Bahadur Baniya of Bagmati Province Committee, Lalit Jung Shahi of Karnali Province Committee, and Bir Bahadur Balayar of Sudurpaschim Province Committee called on all party leaders and cadres to focus on the regular general convention.

They said that since the Central Work Execution Committee meeting on Friday rescheduled the general convention to May 11-14, the special convention is no longer relevant.

“As the mandatory tasks of renewal and distribution of active memberships could not be completed and the responsibility could not be handed over to the Central Election Committee through the Central Working Committee, it was not possible to hold the general convention on Jan 10-12,” they said in the statement.

The five province committee presidents also urged party leaders and cadres to remain united and focus on preparations for the regular general convention and ensure the victory of the party’s candidates in the House of Representatives elections scheduled for March 5.

A meeting of leaders close to party President Sher Bahadur Deuba on Sunday had also concluded that a special convention is not necessary as the process for the regular general convention has already moved forward.

However, some party leaders, including General Secretaries Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, are insisting on holding a special convention to address a demand made by 54% of general convention representatives. They have scheduled a special convention in Kathmandu on Jan 11-12.

Earlier in the day, leaders advocating the special convention submitted a memorandum to Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka. However, the demand did not figure in the agenda of the Central Work Execution Committee that convened at the party central office in Sanepa on Monday afternoon.