Kathmandu 2: I Nepali Congress (NC) revised its initial schedule of its 15th general convention- now from May 11 to 14 in Kathmandu.
A meeting of the party’s central execution committee held on Friday revised the schedule, citing adverse situation. It endorsed the revised proposal, arguing there was sheer lack of time for the preparations to the earlier schedule of January 10-12, according to party spokesperson Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat.
At a time when the General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma were rallying for a special convention, reasoning the party’s failure to hold general convention as per time mentioned in statute, spokesperson Mahat flatly rejected the idea of conducting a special general convention with the revised schedule endorsed for May 11-14.
Mahat explained the meeting agreed that it was no longer viable to implement the previously announced schedule for the general convention. There is no possibility of conducting the general convention before the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5, he added.
According to the revised schedule, ward conventions at the village/town level will be held on April 4, followed by village/municipal conventions on April 8. Province Assembly regional conventions are slated for April 11, while House of Representatives regional conventions will take place on April 15 in districts with a single electoral constituency and on April 18 in districts with two or more constituencies. The provincial conventions are scheduled for April 23–25.
He further said that the relevance of a special convention has ended following the December 1 decision to hold the 15th general convention.
Meanwhile, the party’s General Secretary, Gagan Kumar Thapa, expressed dissenting views on the decision to revise the general convention dates. Although the proposal was endorsed by a majority vote, Thapa said that he, along with four or five other members, held differing opinions.
Speaking to the media, Thapa said that Article 17(2) of the party’s statute clearly states that a special central general convention can be convened within three months if 40 percent of the central general convention members submit a written application to the central committee, citing special reasons.
It may be noted that Thapa and several others from his faction had earlier organized a signature campaign, demanding a special general convention in the aftermath of the September 8–9 Gen Z movement. The movement had significant repercussions on domestic politics, including the fall of the government, the announcement of fresh House of Representatives elections for March 5.
Thapa said they are demanding that the party convene a special general convention by mid-January and expect the central leadership to address the demand, stressing that this is also necessary for the enforcement of the party statute.
He added that regardless of their position or capacity within the party, leaders should not remain mute spectators to recent developments. He hinted that the special general convention could be convened by exercising the rights granted to the General Secretary under the party statute.
