While a majority of CWC members, including those close to NC President Sushil Koirala including some ´neutral´, are in favor of resolving the PP leadership row by paving way for all leaders including Deuba to become prime ministerial candidate, leaders close to Deuba have remained adamant on changing the PP leader.[break] As per provisions in the NC statute, the PP leader automatically becomes prime ministerial candidate.
Leaders close to the establishment faction claim that the party president has already assured Deuba the upcoming CWC meeting would resolve the issue of changing the PP leader. “The row over PP leader has already been settled. President Koirala said during his meeting with Deuba recently that the issue would be settled through the CWC meeting,” claimed Dhan Raj Gurung, who is both PP and CWC member.
Gurung said the CWC meeting is likely to pave the way for any leader in the party to become prime ministerial candidate, and not just the PP leader. “The proposal of President Koirala to settle the PP leader row through the CWC is meaningful. A decision of this sort is taken only by a CWC meeting,” he said.
Most leaders other than those belonging to the Deuba faction are against changing the PP leader in this critical political situation as it could precipitate a vertical split in the party. They believe that a CWC decision to allow any candidate in the party to become prime ministerial candidate could resolve the row over PP leader at least for now.
The proposal, however, is unlikely to impress the Deuba faction. “We are not seeking the PP leader´s berth just to become prime minister. We are seeking an important role in the party. The PP leader also becomes opposition party leader in parliament,” argued Gopal Man Shrestha, a close aide of Deuba.
Leaders close to Deuba say they would be forced to adopt ´due process´ to change the PP leader if incumbent PP leader Ram Chandra Paudel refuses to step down in consensus as per an informal understanding reached with NC President Koirala in the past.
However, it is still unclear whether either faction in the party has a majority. Though the Deuba faction claims that it has already secured more than 58 PP members in its fold, leaders close to the establishment faction claim only 54 out of the total 114 PP members are behind the rival faction.
Paudel was elected PP leader through voting held in June, 2009, securing 61 votes, while Deuba trailed by 13 votes. The Deuba faction is confident of a majority after courting the support of senior NC leader K B Gurung. Party insiders say Gurung, who supported Paudel in the PP leadership election, commands the support of at least 12 PP members.
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