Kathmandu — Nepali Congress leader Mahesh Acharya has said that under the party statute, 10 percent of general convention delegates can propose the review of any decision taken by the Central Working Committee, with the final authority resting with the party’s general convention.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Acharya said continued disregard of the party statute, policy confusion, organizational deterioration, and the current leadership crisis have made a special general convention unavoidable.
He indicated that the general convention could also reverse the Central Committee’s decision to extend the term of the working committee led by Sher Bahadur Deuba. The Nepali Congress Central Working Committee had decided on Mangsir 23 to extend the term of the current committee by two months.
According to Acharya, the statute allows at least 10 percent of general convention representatives to table a proposal at a special convention to review that decision. If such a proposal is endorsed, the tenure of the Deuba-led committee would come to an end, opening the way for the selection of new party leadership through the special convention.
Statute Interpretation and Call for Special Convention
Acharya shared a detailed interpretation of the party statute in his post, stating that the general convention—not the Central Committee—is the supreme authority of the party. Citing Article 22, he said the Central Committee’s primary responsibility is to implement decisions of the general convention and the General Committee, and to make necessary decisions only in the absence of those bodies, with mandatory presentation of such decisions at the next convention.
He further noted that Article 16 grants the general convention the authority to deliberate and decide on proposals submitted by the working committee, including matters related to party policy, organizational structure, and long-term or short-term strategic direction.
Acharya argued that recent decisions by the party’s executive bodies have violated these statutory limits. He said labeling demands raised by a majority of general convention representatives as “unconstitutional” is erroneous and objectionable, stressing that all executive decisions must ultimately be accountable to the general convention.
Referring to the political situation since Bhadra 23 and 24, Acharya said the worsening national context, combined with the party’s internal crisis and repeated neglect of the statute, has made a special general convention unavoidable.
