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Nepali Congress (NC) General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa asserted that the special general convention (SGC) was called in a bid to address public disenchantment. 

Addressing the two-day SGC that kicked off in the federal capital, Kathmandu on Sunday at the call of SCG supporters, General Secretary Thapa stated that the political parties should address the public resentment demonstrated during the Gen Z movement last September. 

Thapa said, "The public, during that uprising, vented their ire on the government in which the Nepali Congress was the partner. The new generation is angry due to corruption, misgovernance and anomalies. They are angry, hurt and dissatisfied with the rule of 'Nepo babies' in the republican system introduced by abolishing the monarchy."

In this light, he added the SGC has been summoned to listen to and address those voices. According to him, summoning the SGC at the initiatives of the General-Secretaries duo of the party may seem to emerge due to power struggle within the party, but, it is rather meant to be a struggle of ideologies and norms and values. 

"It was imperative to ponder the resentment and dissatisfaction expressed by thousands of men and women taking to the streets in the name of the Gen Z movement. In view of such an incident, Democratic Party like Nepali Congress does not have the luxury to overlook it and term it a normal incident," Thapa reminded.

Referring to the absence of party President and Acting President in the SGC, the General Secretary regretted that their wish to see the presence of the party leadership in the SGC remained unfulfilled. It may be noted that the leaders in the faction led by party President Sher Bahadur Deuba have snubbed the SGC and therefore have remained absent in the SGC. 

NC is the national power, he observed, it is therefore the NC's responsibility to seek resolutions to the national issues. "We must continue to uphold the confidence of the public. The Nepali Congress has a long history of successfully earning and maintaining public trust since democratic movement of 2007 BS," he mentioned. 

In order to ignite hope among new youths, creation of an environment where youths are retained within the country is essential, according to him. 

During his address, Thapa pledged adherence to the decisions made by the SGC representatives. 

He clarified that according to the party statute, no one is greater than the general convention and thus viewed that the SGC should be concluded by making it special as its name suggests.

The Election Commission (EC) has stated that a trustworthy security environment for the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) polls will be created for the political parties, candidates, and voters alike.

EC Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said that a robust security situation would be ensured for the political parties and candidates to visit the voters for the election campaigns and for the voters to cast their votes.

Spokesperson Bhattarai made it clear that all four security agencies were working in a coordinated fashion as per the integrated security planning and the government was also providing resources for the polls. 

The political parties, candidates, and campaigners enjoy the situation to visit the voters and take their views to the people in a fearless manner, he added.

The special central general convention of the Nepali Congress is starting from today.

The special general convention is being held after the majority of the general convention delegates signed a call for it.

The convention is being held under the leadership of General Secretaries Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma.

The two-day special general convention is scheduled to be inaugurated at Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu at 1 pm today.

Before the inauguration, leaders and cadres will gather in Sundhara, Ratna Park, Shankardev Campus, Kamalpokhari, Kupandol and other areas of Kathmandu at 11 am and leave for Bhrikutimandap with a rally, shared Jagadishwar Narsingh KC, coordinator of the special general convention public mobilization committee.

It has been decided that the special general convention will be chaired by Congress Kathmandu President Krishna Sabuj Baniya.

The organizing committee has stated that most of the delegates have already arrived.

The registration of the names of the participating delegates will be held from 8 am, informed Secretariat Coordinator Manoj Mani Acharya.

According to Ramesh Dhamala, Coordinator of the Accommodation and Food Management Committee, accommodation has been arranged for 3,600 delegates in various places in Kathmandu.

After the inauguration of the special general convention, the closed session will be held in the Bhrikutimandap assembly hall from January 12.

The special general convention, however, has not been supported by the establishment faction of the party, including its current President Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Digital Rights Nepal (DRN) has raised concerns over provisions related to voter information included in the “House of Representatives Member Election Directive, 2082” issued by the Election Commission.

In a statement, DRN said the directive’s Chapter 4, Clauses 10 and 12, which allow political parties and independent candidates to receive digital copies of the voter register, are inconsistent with constitutional provisions and the Right to Privacy Act, 2075. According to DRN, the voter register contains sensitive personal details such as voter ID numbers, gender or gender identity, age, and parents’ names, which could make individuals easily identifiable and pose risks to personal privacy.

DRN also expressed concern that personal details including voter numbers, age, gender, and names of spouses and parents are already publicly accessible on the Election Commission’s website. It warned that distributing digital copies of voter lists containing such information to private devices could further increase the risk of misuse, not only during the election period but also afterward.

Citing the Right to Privacy Act, DRN noted that voter identification details are defined as personal information and that gender identity is classified as sensitive personal data protected from publication or dissemination in ways that could affect an individual’s private life. The organisation stated that the exceptions allowing limited disclosure under the law—such as explicit consent of the individual, self-disclosure, court orders, or criminal investigations—do not apply to the provisions in the election directive.

DRN said the protection of voter data is directly linked to fundamental rights, public trust, and the credibility of democracy. It added that the inclusion of details such as gender identity, age, and parents’ names in a single dataset could enable the creation of detailed personal profiles, raising additional concerns, particularly for gender minorities.

The organisation has called on the Election Commission to immediately suspend the digital distribution of voter data, review and limit the scope of personal information made public on its website, amend the directive in line with constitutional principles and the Right to Privacy Act, and consult with civil society, legal experts, and human rights organisations before finalising any revisions.