The CWC meeting on Friday endorsed a proposal by newly-elected party President Sher Bahadur Deuba to task a three-member panel with making necessary preparations for electing the parliamentary party leader. CWC member Ramesh Rijal has been nominated as coordinator of the panel, with CWC members Surendra Pandey and Gururaj Ghimire as panel members."We are mulling to slate the election in the first week of April as most lawmakers of our party are outside the Valley right now," coordinator Rijal told Republica.
The post of parliamentary party leader fell vacant after the demise of then NC president Sushil Koirala in February. Indicating Deuba's interest in contesting the post, close aides are already claiming that the newly elected NC president will lead a new government. According to the NC party statute, only the parliamentary party leader shall become candidate for prime minister from the party.
Deuba's rival in NC 13th general convention, Ram Chandra Paudel, is also a possible contestant for the post.
The CWC meeting also decided to convene the general conventions of all the party's sister wings within six months. The general conventions of most of the sister wings, including Nepal Students Union, Nepal Tarun Dal and Nepal Mahila Sangh, have not been convened since the last nine years.
Most of the NC sister wings have been headed by ad hoc committees since the last four years. Following his election as party chief, Deuba had publicly committed himself to holding the general conventions of the sister wings within six months.
The CWC meeting has also decided to take the initiative for resolving the provincial demarcation dispute and other issues of Madhes, and hold talks with other political parties for implementation of the new constitution. "As our party took the initiative during the promulgation of the constitution and its first amendment, it will also take initiative for its implementation and for addressing dissenting voices," said CWC member Dhan Raj Gurung.
The main opposition party has meanwhile drawn the attention of the government towards providing relief to earthquake victims and expediting reconstruction work. Likewise, the party has drawn the attention of the government toward controlling the rampant inflation and black marketing and easing the fuel shortage.
The first CWC meeting of the party has also decided to grant leader Ram Chandra Paudel second position in the party hierarchy. Paudel was absent from the meeting as he is out of Valley as per his pre-planned schedule, said his aide Chiranjibi Adhikari.
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