NC snubs GP Koirala<br/>Mahasamiti meet on schedule

KATHMANDU, Oct 9: Snubbing repeated requests from party president Girija Prasad Koirala to defer the Mahasamiti meeting for next year, Nepali Congress Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Friday decided to hold the Mahasamiti meeting on November 1-3. The meeting, however, decided to change the venue of the meeting from Birgunj to Kathmandu. [break]



A majority of members were in favor of holding the Mahasamiti meeting on time as "there is a need to bring massive changes to the party´s statute and also develop official stance of the party on several issues related to the new constitution".



The Mahasamiti, which is supposed to formulate party strategies and set out a new course of action, has not met even after the success of the democratic movement of April, 2006.







A CWC meeting on Thursday had given responsibility to senior party office bearers to take a decision on the Mahasamiti meeting after differences of opinions on it. According to CWC member Binaya Dhoj Chanda, acting president Sushil Koirala announced the decision to hold the Mahasamiti meeting on the stipulated date at the beginning of Friday´s meeting. "No one raised a voice against the decision," he said.



The party president had argued that Mahasamiti meeting would not be necessary at a time when the general convention has already been called for February, 2010. Party insiders say Koirala´s suggestion to defer the Mahasamiti meeting was to thwart the party´s plan to adopt a multi-post system as it would foil his bid to secure the position of general secretary or vice president for his daughter Sujata Koirala. It is equally likely that protests at the Mahasamiti meeting could set a negative tone for him in the upcoming general convention, thereby taking the party leadership away from the grip of the Koirala family.



Koirala also fears he will have to face strong protests in the Mahasamiti meeting over his decision to send his daughter Sujata to lead the party in the government. Koirala is also likely to face wrath from CWC members for seeking the post of deputy prime minister for her despite the parliamentary party and CWC´s opposition.



NC spokesperson Arjun Narsingh KC said the CWC meeting also held discussion on the report submitted by the committee formed under Chiranjeevi Wagle to investigate into the cases violation of discipline by party leaders during CA election.



The CWC members suggested the party office bearers to settle the issue at the earliest in the wake of the party holding the Mahasamiti meeting next month.



koshraj@myrepublica.com

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