KATHMANDU, Oct 8: As discussions about leadership changes continue within major political parties in the country, debates have also grown more intense within the Nepali Congress (NC) over calling a special convention to choose new leadership.
NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, who was injured in the attack during the Gen Z protest and is now taking rest, has been holding telephone conversations with party leaders regarding the issue instead of meeting them in person.
A Central Committee (CC) meeting has been scheduled for October 12. Before that, general convention representatives are preparing to submit signatures demanding a special general convention.
General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma, through a video message on social media, has urged convention representatives to complete the signature process by October 10.
“If you wish to sign, please do so by the 10th,” Sharma said in the video message on Tuesday. His statement indicates that the NC may soon move toward a special general convention. Sharma believes that holding such a convention would further strengthen the party.
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After Deuba called the CC meeting for October 12 following the Gen Z movement, the rival faction opposing his leadership began a signature collection campaign to demand a special general convention.
Leaders have said that after the upcoming CC meeting, the party will formally move forward on the issue of leadership change. The rival faction in the NC is preparing to submit the collected signatures by October 11.
Following the Gen Z movement, General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Sharma, along with leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala, have been separately lobbying for Deuba’s resignation.
The signature campaign for the special general convention is being led by Guru Raj Ghimire, who initiated it in the last week of September. Similarly, General Secretary Thapa has also joined the campaign.
CC member Ajay Shiwakoti, who is close to Thapa, said that the issue of the general convention will be discussed in the CC meeting. “Given the current political situation, discussions on leadership restructuring and the general convention are inevitable,” said Shiwakoti.
While gatherings and meetings are being held at various levels within the CPN-UML for party restructuring, NC representatives are preparing to submit signatures before the CC meeting to push for leadership change.
General Secretaries Thapa and Sharma have been actively engaging themselves in discussions and meetings at various levels for party restructuring and leadership change. Thapa has even expressed his readiness to resign from his post if necessary for party reform.
“The continuity of our current practices alone will not bring the party’s renewal. For thorough reform, we must be ready to resign from our positions and take new risks,” Thapa said. “For that, I am willing to resign from the post of General Secretary. Let’s begin discussions on this. Let’s admit our mistakes, conduct self-evaluation and self-reflection, and commit ourselves to transforming the party.”
On September 22, 109 convention representatives close to Koirala and Thapa jointly issued a statement announcing the start of the signature campaign. The NC currently has 4,743 general convention representatives.
According to the party statute, a special general convention can be convened if 40 percent of convention representatives sign and submit a demand. Based on this provision, representatives have been collecting signatures.
Mahasamiti member Devraj Chalise said that if the Central Committee meeting on October 12 does not decide to call a general convention, the signatures will be submitted. “We first want the process to proceed as per the statute, but if that doesn’t happen, we will be compelled to use the authority granted by the statute,” he said.
Since Deuba holds a clear majority in the CC, the possibility of it calling a special general convention appears very low. However, some NC leaders say that recent political developments have made the anti-establishment faction appear stronger than before.
The anti-establishment faction has been continuously lobbying and holding discussions in favor of leadership change. Meanwhile, senior NC leaders Krishna Sitaula, Prakash Man Singh, Bimlendra Nidhi, and Gopalman Shrestha remain indecisive. They have not made their positions clear on whether to support a special general convention or wait for the regular one.
