KATHMANDU, Oct 20: The Nepali Congress is grappling with internal dissent as second-rung leaders have demanded a special general convention amid growing distrust toward the party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) and its handling of the 15th general convention.
At a press conference held on Sunday, leaders, including Manoj Mani Acharya, Gururaj Ghimire, and Devraj Chalise, criticized the current leadership for deliberately delaying crucial meetings and obstructing the regular process of leadership renewal.
“The party CWC has unnaturally prolonged the meeting of the Central Committee. Why are we postponing the meeting like this? The public needs a clear explanation,” said Gururaj Ghimire.
Special general convention of the party will be held after elec...
Similarly, Manoj Mani Acharya criticized the leadership for failing to act at a critical political juncture. “National politics is moving forward at a critical time. The party leaders should have made a decision immediately after analyzing the country’s current situation. Instead, there’s an attempt to confuse and delay the selection of new leadership,” Acharya said. He stressed that a general convention must be held before the March 5 parliamentary elections”. He further argued that electing a new leadership through a democratic process was essential. “We have demanded a special general convention, and this demand must be heard,” he added.
The faction also voiced objections to comments made by Congress spokesperson Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, who downplayed the signature campaign for the special general convention terming it as a “reference proposal.” Former Khotang district president Subash Pokharel said, “This is not a reference proposal, this is the agenda of 53 percent of the people. You are disrespecting this.” He also warned Mahat against using “hypocritical language like that, urging him to maintain the dignity of party members.
Ghimire further underscored the importance of holding a timely general convention, pointing to the practices of other political parties. “Other parties, including the Communist Parties including CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre), have already scheduled their conventions. Yet we, who claim to be a model for democratic movements worldwide, are hesitating to take decisive steps,” he said.
Despite the dissent, Dr. Mahat maintained that the 15th General Convention will be held as a regular convention.
“There are friends who say that the general convention can be held within Mangsir (mid-December). New friends should also be involved. New youth (Gen Z) should also be given active membership; the renewal of old ones has not been completed. That too must be completed,” Mahat said.
The ongoing CWC meeting, which began on October 17, has been criticized for lacking a clear roadmap. The internal debate over whether to hold a special or regular general convention is expected to continue, as party leaders push for leadership renewal ahead of the national elections. The next session is scheduled for October 30 after the Chhath festival.
