Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa has formally presented an additional proposal to the party’s Central Committee, urging immediate steps to hold the 15th General Convention before the upcoming general election scheduled for March 5.
In his proposal presented before the party’s Central Committee meeting on Monday, Thapa argues that the country’s political landscape has fundamentally changed since the Sept 8–9 GenZ uprisal, making a timely convention essential for the party’s credibility and renewal.
According to Thapa, the situation before and after the GenZ-led protests, which toppled the previous coalition government led by KP Sharma Oli, dissolved parliament and paved the way for an interim administration, was “completely different.” He said the unexpected national crisis shattered the political ground the party had been standing on.
“After the Sept 8-9 upheaval, the party cannot move forward with regular activities,” Thapa states in his proposal. He adds that in the new context, political parties across the spectrum are preparing for elections with fresh strategies, new leadership, and reorganized structures.
Thapa notes the Nepali Congress’s historical tradition of navigating moments of crisis through national gatherings, such as Mahasamiti sessions, special conventions and general conventions. “We cannot abandon that tradition,” he says, stressing that the party must present voters with renewed policies, leadership, and a clear political message before facing the electorate.
He also criticizes the party leadership for halting convention-related work for the past 45 days, arguing that the delay weakened the party’s political position and prevented necessary interventions in national politics. “Had the party allowed convention preparations to proceed as proposed in September, lower-level conventions would already have been completed,” he says.
On Monday, the party presented a revised schedule to conclude the central-level convention within 45 days. As per the party’s decision, the 15th General Convention will be held on Jan 10–12. Thapa describes the timeline as “highly challenging” but insists that the party must compensate for the time lost due to internal disagreements.
Thapa references the signatures of more than 54 percent of Central Committee members who on Oct 15 formally demanded a special general convention under Article 17(2) of the party statute. “Their intention was clear: the party must hold a convention (regular or special) before participating in the general election,” he states.
He maintains that the party cannot face the general election, or the people, without a new mandate from the general convention. “Public trust cannot be secured through internal assurances alone. Our accountability lies with the Nepali people.”
He also warns that if the 15th General Convention cannot be held for any reason by January, the party should not wait until the month’s end. Instead, it should immediately decide to move toward a special general convention. “In that situation, the party will have no choice,” he concludes.
