A day after the Nepali Congress Central Work Execution Committee decided to hold the party’s general convention on May 11–14 and amid objections from the party’s general secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, party leaders have engaged in multiple meetings to find the way forward.
Party leader Shekhar Koirala, who earlier backed the special convention idea but now refuses to support Thapa and Sharma, has piled trouble on the general secretaries. After two lines appeared in the party supporting the special convention and the general convention, Congress leaders and cadres expressed fears that such a rift could lead to a split in the party.
Thapa and Sharma, who hold firm on organising a Special Convention now rather than the 15th general convention after the March elections, consulted legal experts on Saturday.
Koirala, who earlier wanted the Congress central working committee to announce a special convention, also held consultation with some of the leaders close to him.
Seen to be siding with Thapa and Sharma in the past, Koirala’s team this time has chosen a middle path between the two general secretaries’ January 11-12 special convention in Kathmandu and the party establishment’s May general convention announcement. Thapa and Sharma say they will not backtrack on their decision to hold a special convention.
The establishment side led by party chief Sher Bahadur Deuba is set against holding a convention before the March 5 election. The Deuba faction bulldozed a decision with its majority backing in the central work execution committee to announce the 15th general convention in May.
Five central work execution committee members, including Thapa and Sharma, wrote a note of dissent against the decision endorsed by Friday’s meeting.
Legal experts on Saturday advised both Thapa and Sharma to go ahead saying that the party general secretary has power to organise a special convention.
The consultation, where one-and-a-half dozen legal experts were present, conferred that Thapa and Sharma’s call of the special convention is legal and in line with the party charter, said a senior advocate.
As many as 54 percent elected representatives to the general convention had submitted a memorandum at the party headquarters on October 14 demanding a special convention in the changed political context after the September Gen Z revolt.
However, a central working committee meeting on December 1 decided to hold the 15th general convention from January 10 to 12 in Kathmandu. As the schedule was disturbed due to time constraints and some technical reasons, the two general secretaries revived the special convention demand and announced to hold it in the third week of January.
Legal experts gave their opinions on Saturday that not organising a special convention, which is mandatory under the party charter for being a demand of a majority of members, constitutes a violation of the statute. It would also be the central leadership’s failure to carry out its duties and go against both the party charter and the law governing political parties.
“We will definitely honour the signatures of 54 percent elected representatives and the agendas forwarded by them will not go in vain,” Thapa and Sharma said at the meeting in one voice, according to a leader.
“At a time when other parties are gearing up for the elections, we are engulfed in an internal dispute, creating deep anguish and frustration in the entire party rank and file,” said Ramhari Khatiwada, a central member.
During the consultation, leaders from the Koirala camp said they, in principle, back the demand for a special convention but it would not be fair to call it ahead of the House elections.
“Our priority is to keep the party united,” said Congress Vice-president Dhanraj Gurung, “irrespective of whether someone supports the special convention or not.”
Arguing that it is not good to prolong the dispute, Gurung said the leaders are exploring ways to maintain party unity.
With the Koirala faction not backing the special convention call, Thapa and Sharma are unlikely to keep their 54 percent support intact. When the signature campaign was launched for a special convention, it was backed by Thapa, Sharma and Koirala. Leaders close to Koirala now only say they respect the opinion of the majority of the elected representatives to the general convention.
A leader close to Deuba said because Thapa and Sharma will not have the backing of 40 percent elected representatives, the special convention will turn into a special gathering.
“We are waiting and watching the move of the two general secretaries,” the leader said.