KATHMANDU, Sept 28: The faction led by former Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has started preparations for a parallel general convention, objecting to the ongoing convention process led by President Gagan Kumar Thapa.
The faction began preparations after its demand to halt the delegate-selection process for the general convention scheduled in Kathmandu from October 2 to 5 and hold it jointly through dialogue and consensus went unheeded. It has not joined the process initiated by the establishment faction, claiming that the Central Working Committee elected by the 14th General Convention is the legitimate one.
Deuba faction coordinator Dr Shashank Koirala said the faction plans to hold its 15th General Convention in Kathmandu from December 7 to 9, with ward conventions beginning October 1. It has appointed election coordinators in 56 districts.
Dispute within NC intensifies as Deuba faction launches paralle...
The faction maintains that the dispute over the NC’s legitimacy is sub judice at the Supreme Court. However, the establishment faction began the delegate-selection process on September 19 and is preparing for the 15th General Convention.
Meanwhile, Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat said the Deuba faction’s Central Membership Management Committee had submitted active membership details to the Central Election Committee.
Kiran Raj Sharma Paudel, coordinator of the Active Membership Management Committee, handed over the details to Election Committee Coordinator Ekaraj Pokharel on Saturday.
Paudel said 783,836 active memberships distributed or renewed through September 25 had been submitted, including 573,369 renewals and 210,667 new memberships.
“Earlier, the party had assigned this responsibility to General Secretary Gagan Thapa, but problems arose because the active membership could not be finalized on time. After Sher Bahadur Deuba assigned me the responsibility, I finalized it and handed it over. The general convention will now be held on time; there is no problem,” Paudel said.
Mahat said the faction had wanted a unity convention and made efforts until the last moment. “When that was not possible, we started preparations in an emergency situation,” he said.
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