Over 25 lawmakers of the Nepali Congress have knocked on the doors of the party president and demanded that the party´s participation in the government should be decided by its Central Working Committee (CWC). For a party which claims to be the torchbearer of democracy in the country, such a demand should be embarrassing in itself. Why, after all, should the lawmakers have to be making a plea before the party president over something so basic and matter-of-course? It only shows the sorry state of this grand old party- it´s perhaps the most undemocratic among the major political parties when it comes to exercising intra-party democracy. The NC statute says its central committee will meet whenever necessary; its mahasamittee will meet every year; and the general convention will take place every three years. But none of these major decision-making bodies of the party ever meet on schedule. Crucial decisions are taken either by the party president or by a small coterie.
The Maoists and UML, which the NC seldom regards as democratic parties, fare far better in terms of collective and inclusive decision-making. Every time there is a crucial issue before the UML, its standing committee meets to take the decision and if necessary the issue is taken to the central committee for a broader endorsement. The Maoist party also has a practice of its secretariat meetings taking decisions on key issues. The Maoist party has several times taken the more complex and controversial issues to a national gathering of the cadres for a final decision. The NC, however, rarely feels the need for such consultations and an inclusive decision-making process.
This has only weakened the party´s cohesion and the NC survives today in several factions and competing groups. At the same time many well-meaning party leaders feel frustrated and disillusioned. Moreover, the lack of internal democracy is not the only problem plaguing this veteran party. It is, in a way, ailing along with its all-powerful president, Girija Prasad Koirala. It´s a party weak in terms of ideology, transparency, inclusive representation and a forward-looking agenda for social transformation. Political parties survive and grow only by inspiring and leading people in a movement for social change. But a majority of NC leaders take comfort in the status quo and hardly feel enthusiastic about social reform-or even internal party reform for that matter. This is a party in need of overhaul, or else it will gradually slip into irrelevance.
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