KATHMANDU, Oct 6: The Nepali Congress has proposed expanding its Central Working Committee (CWC) to 297 members from the existing 167 and introducing state funding for political parties based on votes secured in elections, while also announcing a Rs 100 million endowment fund for families of martyrs, conflict victims and injured party activists.
The proposals are part of the organizational and policy reforms being discussed at the party’s ongoing 15th General Convention in Kathmandu. The proposal to expand the CWC, approved by the CWC meeting at the convention venue in Tundikhel, was presented to the closed session, according to party leaders.
The closed session, held at Tundikhel on Monday, approved the amended statute presented by General Secretary Pradeep Paudel. According to NC spokesperson Devraj Chalise, who briefed the media, the amended statute provides for a 297-member Central Working Committee.
The committee will have one president, one senior vice president and four vice presidents, with at least one vice president required to be a woman. Similarly, there will be three general secretaries, including at least one woman, and 15 joint general secretaries. The treasurer will be elected from among the central members.
The party will have one spokesperson and one joint-spokesperson.
Of the central members, 45 will be elected under the open category and 15 women under the open category. Each province will have four representatives, including at least one woman.
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Two representatives, including one woman, will be elected from Kathmandu Valley.
The Dalit category will have 14 representatives, including five women and one Madhesi. The indigenous nationalities category will have 20 representatives, including eight women, while the Khas Arya category will have 18 representatives, including eight women.
The Madhesi category will have 13 representatives, including five women. The party’s overseas chapters will have seven representatives, including two women, while three representatives will be elected from the backward communities category.
The Tharu category will have six representatives, including two women. The labour category will have three representatives, including one woman, while seven representatives, including two women, will be elected from among professional experts.
In addition, 21 members under the age of 35—three from each of the seven provinces—will be represented in the Central Working Committee. There will also be one representative from the disability category and three representatives from among democracy fighters.
The Central Working Committee will later nominate 66 members.
Although the statute was passed on Monday, the reports presented by the president, vice presidents and treasurer will be approved only by Tuesday’s closed session.
The statute was passed on Monday ahead of the nomination of candidates, which is scheduled to begin at 10 am on Tuesday.
The NC had a 167-member central committee after its 14th General Convention in 2021, which was expanded to 231 members through the Second Special General Convention in January.
Meanwhile, NC President Gagan Kumar Thapa’s political document proposes state funding for political parties based on the votes they receive in elections as a measure to promote financial transparency and discipline.
The document calls for all party bodies to operate under approved budgets and for the same financial discipline to apply to primary and internal elections. It also proposes linking state funding to strict financial discipline and public audits, while requiring verified records of party assets, a uniform accounting system, regular public audits and scrutiny of funding sources and potential conflicts of interest.
The party has also proposed establishing a Rs 100 million endowment fund to support the families of martyrs, conflict victims and injured people who lost educational, livelihood or other opportunities while participating in the party’s political movements.
According to the proposal, the fund is intended to reflect the party’s sense of familial responsibility toward its political activists and provide educational and health support to their families. It says the fund will be established and operated through transparent fundraising, management and auditing.
The political document also proposes a campaign called “Nepali Congress for National Concerns” (NC for NC) to directly connect the party with citizens on social and national issues.
The NC has identified fighting caste discrimination, child marriage, gender-based violence, corruption and inequality as part of its political responsibilities.
