- PP statute main agenda
- Local bodies formation, by-election preparations, ordinances main issues of discussion
- Extention of some party panels´ mandate likely, some members likely to demand general convention date
KATHMANDU, Feb 20: Central Working Committee Nepali Congress is meeting Friday afternoon to approve Parliamentary Party statute and discuss report on party unification process in districts and village level, among others. [break]
"Main agenda of the meeting is to approve the PP statute as there is urgency to elect its leader," said the party´s General Secretary Bimalendra Nidhi.
The PP passed its statute last month but it will come into effect only after the approval by the party´s CWC. The statute has paved the way for electing its leader, 10 months after the Constituent Assembly elections.
The CWC is responsible for forming election committee to conduct the election to PP leader.
As per the newly passed statute, the PP will now have a deputy leader and an inclusive governing body called PP Working Committee. At least a woman will be appointed in one of the senior positions like deputy leader, chief whip and whip of the party in the parliament. Representation of Madhesi, women, janajatis, dalits and backward regions will be guaranteed in the committee.
Though the agenda of the meeting were not formally discussed among the CWC officials, the meeting is expected to discuss the party unification reports that came from about 60 out of 75 districts. The party had assigned central level leaders to merge all the lower-level party units, which had parallel committees despite unification of the party in the center.
According to party´s Chief Whip in the parliament, Laxman Prasad Ghimire, the meeting will discuss preparation for upcoming by-elections in six constituencies.
The CWC meeting, which is meeting after six months despite mandatory provision for holding such meeting every two months, is likely to take up issues of formation of 21 central departments of the party. Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat is working as chief of Publicity Department and Dr Minendra Rijal is heading Training Department –both of them informally, and Sujata Koirala is working as "chief" of Foreign Relations Department. All the other departments are yet to be formed.
The meeting is also expected to extend mandate of four special panels formed in August last year to recommend model of future state structure, constitution and party statute and complete the central office building construction.
"Since we are working day and night to finalize our reports, the mandate will be extended," said party vice-president Gopal Man Shrestha who also heads the state restructuring panel. Chakra Bastola-headed panel for recommending model of future constitution and Krishna Sitaula-led party statute drafting panel are also active in the working field and yet to prepare their final reports, said Shrestha. Dr Ram Sharan Mahat´s office building construction panel is also engaged in constructing second floor of the building.
According to a CWC member some members including Khum Bhadur Khadka, Govinda Raj Joshi and Pradip Giri are in favor of setting party´s General Convention date immediately. Giri is now in India but two others will put the demand at the meeting. The convention is to take place by August 2009 but the party is yet to start process of convention at the local levels.
yuvraj@myrepublica.com
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