Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa has proposed December 13–14 as the dates to hold the party’s special convention to elect new leadership.
Speaking at the party’s ongoing Central Committee meeting, Thapa said that since some leaders have not agreed to hold the regular convention promptly, the party should instead go for a special convention, which will pave the way for a regular general convention within a short time.
Amid internal disputes over the timing of the convention, Thapa said that the ongoing Central Working Committee must take the decision to hold the special convention on December 13–14. For a long time, Thapa has maintained that the party should go for the general convention to choose new leadership before the national elections which has been scheduled for March 5.
“Our convention is not just an internal matter; it is a national issue,” Thapa said. He added that it is inappropriate to invite party President Sher Bahadur Deuba to “save the party,” as doing so ultimately harms him. Thapa reminded party members that President Deuba had already instructed that the convention be conducted within the given timeframe. “He (the party president) has already stepped aside, and now it is we who must take responsibility,” Thapa said. “When we proposed holding the regular general convention, no one agreed. Therefore, we must hold a special general convention and elect a president from it.
Thapa also urged party leaders not to complicate matters, saying that President Deuba has already eased the process. Of the 4,743 general convention representatives from the Nepali Congress’s 14th General Convention, 2,488 submitted their signatures to Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka, demanding a special general convention.
On national politics, Thapa said that the party must move forward by addressing public dissatisfaction while protecting the constitution and the current system. As the largest party, the Nepali Congress must lead this process, he said. Thapa’s remarks come at a time of widespread criticism that the NC is stuck in internal disputes while the country faces a deep political crisis and a vacuum of leadership.
“Regarding how to move forward now, there are three possibilities. One is that polarization will increase and violence will intensify. The second is that through elections we may return to the situation before September 8, or things may move ahead with only temporary fixes. Neither of these options allows Nepal to progress. Therefore, we must choose the third path,” Thapa said in the meeting. “The third path means addressing the current dissatisfaction, managing it, and moving forward while safeguarding the constitution and the system. This responsibility must be taken up by the Nepali Congress.” He claimed that no one except the Congress can lead this process. “No one else can do this work. The CPN–UML cannot do it. It is not in UML’s character. The UML might spread agitation instead,” he said. After the Gen-Z movement, Thapa’s plan to reform the party has met strong resistance from senior party leaders.
