Kathmandu — Nepali Congress leader Shekhar Koirala has said that a special general convention of the party should be convened on the basis of consensus. Speaking on Monday morning with 30 central committee members close to party president Sher Bahadur Deuba at the party’s contact office in Bishalnagar, Koirala stated that a consensus-based approach was necessary for calling a special general convention.
“Based on consensus, the Central Committee should call a special general convention,” Koirala was quoted by his secretariat as saying. “At present, there is a need to finalize proportional representation candidates for the National Assembly and the House of Representatives.
Therefore, it would be appropriate to hold discussions with those in favor of a special general convention and convene it after Magh 6.” Earlier, 54 percent of Nepali Congress general convention delegates had submitted their signatures on Ashoj 29 to Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka, demanding a special general convention.
According to the party statute, such a convention must be convened within three months, by Poush 28. However, a meeting of the party’s Central Working Committee held on Poush 18 concluded that there was no justification for a special general convention and, based on a majority decision, approved a schedule to hold the 15th general convention in Baisakh.
At that time, General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma, along with five other leaders, expressed dissenting opinions, while Koirala did not register a formal dissent. He had told leaders close to him that he was compelled to accept the majority decision.
However, during the meeting with 30 central committee members close to President Deuba, Koirala said that a special general convention could still be convened through a decision of the Central Committee. He added that convening the convention in this manner would send a message of unity within the party.
Meanwhile, General Secretaries Thapa and Sharma are facing pressure from the 54 percent of general convention delegates to convene a special general convention on Poush 27 and 28, and preparations are reportedly underway in that direction.
In a separate context, Koirala said that the Nepali Congress should not form an electoral alliance in the House of Representatives election. According to his secretariat, he stated that while alliances might yield a few additional seats in direct elections, they would reduce proportional representation votes and cause long-term damage to the party.
Koirala said he was clear that the Nepali Congress should contest the upcoming elections independently. During the meeting, central committee member Pushpa Bhusal said that she and others were holding discussions with top leaders to resolve the disputes seen within the party.
She said they were not aligned with any faction but were concerned about internal conflicts and were making efforts to engage all sides to find a solution. She urged Koirala to seek a middle-ground approach.
Most of the central committee members present said that the special general convention should be transformed into an election declaration assembly and that the party should move forward toward the polls.
They said that the rigidity of both the party establishment and supporters of the special general convention was pushing the party deeper into internal disputes. According to Koirala’s secretariat, the central committee members urged him to coordinate with both sides and help identify a moderate, consensus-based alternative.
