KATHMANDU, March 16: Outgoing acting president of Nepali Congress, Ram Chandra Paudel, handed over the leadership of the party's top post to newly-elected President Sher Bahadur Deuba amidst a function at the party head office, Sanepa on Wednesday.
Deuba, who was declared president on March 7, assumed the office at the party head office after receiving a certificate of election from the officials of the party's election committee.The Election Committee Coordinator Radheshyam Adhikari distributed certificates to all the 64 leaders who won election in the general convention that concluded earlier this week.
In his first decision in his capacity of president of Nepali Congress, Deuba nominated seven leaders as the party's Central Working Committee (CWC) members on Wednesday.
He picked the party's outgoing acting president Ram Chandra Paudel and former general secretary Krishna Sitaula as members of the party's central body. Deuba became president defeating the two leaders during the general convention.
He nominated Arjun Narasing KC, Gagan Thapa, Chitra Lekha Yadav, Umakant Chaudhary and Narahari Acharya for the same post. KC and Thapa lost the election to the post of party's general secretary while Yadav and Chaudhary were defeated in the post of treasurer. Acharya is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kathmandu since last month and couldn't participate in the general convention for health-related issues.
Addressing party members at a jam-packed hall, Deuba said the largest political party, during his next four-year tenure, will give priority for implementation of the new constitution, resolution of disputes of provincial boundaries and strengthening multi-party democracy in the country.
"These are our major agendas and our party will do it," said Deuba.
Addressing the same function, Paudel underlined the need for NC shouldering the responsibility of implementing the new constitution in line with the changes brought by the new constitution and as per the spirit of democratic socialism.
"Our party, which has already come forward to address the dissents and complaints raised by Madhesis, Tharus and ethnic communities toward the new constitution even by amending the new constitution, will be able to take this process to a logical conclusion and establish sustainable peace and tangible progress in the country," said Paudel.
Newly-elected General Secretary Shashank Koirala and Treasurer Sita Devi Yadav committed to further strengthen party's internal unity under the leadership of Deuba.
"I ask the party leadership to take proactive and positive initiatives toward resolving the issues raised in the Madhesh region," she said. She also demanded that families of those who lost their lives during struggles to establish democracy in the country be given opportunity in leadership positions.
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