Bone of contentions
· Constitution amendment bill
· IGP appointment row
· Envoys recommendation under NC Quota
· Failure to give full shape to NC CWC, appoint office bearers
NC Paudel faction demands CWC meeting
KATHMANDU, Feb 27: The internal rift within the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) has widened, with the Ram Chandra Paudel-led faction publicly criticizing the working style of the party president, Sher Bahadur Deuba.
The Paudel faction has even asked in writing for the immediate summoning of the party's Central Working Committee and the Parliamentary Party (PP) to discussion all key issues facing the country.
The Paudel-faction has alleged that Deuba eroded the party's image by taking key decisions, such as on constitutional amendments and appointment of the police chief and ambassadors under the party's quota, only to fulfill personal and factional interests. The rival faction is also dissatisfied with the way the party's departments and office-bearer positions have been left vacant for nearly a year.
All CWC members and lawmakers belonging to the Paudel faction, who held a meeting at the residence of NC General Secretary Shashank Koirala on Saturday, said they were particularly concerned over the nominations made last week for ambassadorial positions under the NC's quota. Expressing serious concern over the way the party's key decisions were taken completely ignoring the rival faction, the meeting sent a letter seeking the meetins of the CWC and PP at the earliest.
NC CWC member Dhan Raj Gurung said the meeting concluded that the handling of the party in unilateral fashion by Deuba had significantly eroded the party image as a whole.
“NC should not be run by one single individual. We are concerned over the way the party president has undermined the party's image to fulfill his personal and factional interests,” he Gurung.
Gurung said that the decisions taken unilaterally by Deuba and his coterie have all been controversial. There had been no discussions within the party before introducing the seven-point constitutional amendment bill, he complained, adding that the way Deuba reportedly exerted undue influence over the appointment of the police chief had seriously eroded the party's image.
“The recommendations for the appointment of ambassadors from the party's quota were neither balanced nor inclusive. No one has the right to undermine the larger interests of the party to fulfill personal and factional interests,” Gurung further said.
The meeting voiced concern over the failure of the party leadership to address all CWC and PP issues and to take key decisions. “The meeting expressed concern over the way the party is being handled by Deuba. The party is not being ruled on the basis of its statutory provisions and norms,” said NC CWC member and lawmaker Jiwan Pariyar.
Although Deuba used to criticize then party president Sushil Koirala for not appointing party office bearers on time, Deuba himself has failed to give full shape to the CWC. The Paudel faction meeting alleged that Deuba had failed to ensure balanced representation for their faction in all appointments and in participation in the key decision-making processes.
