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The ruling Nepali Congress has decided to hold its Mahasamiti meeting in November to undertake responsibilities assigned to it by the party’s policy convention as decided in the 14th general convention.

The Mahasamiti is the party’s apex body, which dwells on contemporary political issues. The party has also decided to hold a nationwide campaign between Aug 5 and Aug 14 and in the community from Aug 27 to Sept 10 for strengthening the party’s organizational base.

The week-long meeting of the Central Working Committee (CWC), which took place after a gap of one year, also made its position on a host of national agendas, but failed to address key intra-party issues such as holding a policy convention, forming the party’s department and addressing concerns related to the party’s sister organizations.  Regarding the current corruption scandals, the party has said that good governance is its top priority.

“The Nepali Congress has and will always be committed to making the country free from corruption by punishing anyone who commits corruption according to the law,” the party has said.

The party has also commended the government for the steps taken to investigate and prosecute fake Bhutanese refugee scam and Lalita Niwas land grab case. Several high level politicians, including senior NC leader Bal Krishna Khand, and business persons have been implicated in both scandals. 

The NC has said that its policy on corruption is that no innocent should be punished or guilty be spared. During the CWC meeting, however, many CWC members of the party had defended Khand and protested the call raised by the general secretary duo, Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, to suspend him. 

Through its CWC meeting, the Congress party has also recommended that the government ensure good governance, control corruption and uphold transparency and accountability, as desired by the people. The party has also called on the government to improve services provided through government offices.  Although there have been some improvements in the procedures for obtaining essential documents such as passports, national identity cards, driver’s licenses, etc., the NC has demanded “immediate and meaningful” improvements from the government to create a situation that can be felt by the consumers.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine-Russia war made negative impacts on the production and distribution systems worldwide, affecting our society as well, according to NC, consequently, industrialists, traders, businessmen, farmers, and laborers are worried about running their businesses and maintaining their daily lives.
The coalition government formed in this situation is working to address these problems, and there have been some signs of improvement in the economy recently, the NC has said.

“To make these reforms comprehensive and sustainable, to strengthen the economy, and to make the banking system accessible to the general public, the Nepali Congress draws the government's attention to make important decisions on this sensitive issue,” the party stated.

While the government is taking meaningful initiatives to control price increases and shortages, it is the state’s duty to ensure smooth supplies of essential commodities to the people and provide relief to the people. So, the Congress has requested the government to conduct a proper study of low-income families, daily wage earners, street vendors who have been displaced and are currently employed, and make necessary decisions for their livelihood.

The CWC meeting also requested the government to conduct a serious and in-depth investigation into the smuggling of 100 kg gold through the Tribhuvan International Airport Customs Office and bring the culprits to book.

The party has also drawn the government’s attention toward shortage of fertilizers and seeds that farmers have been facing during the cultivation season. Due to low rainfall, paddy transplantation has not taken place on one-thirds of the land, which has had a negative impact not only on the daily life and annual income of farmers but also on the national domestic product, the party has said, calling on the government to provide fertilizer and seeds to the affected farmers at concessional prices.

The NC has also raised the issue of lumpy skin disease, which has killed and affected thousands of cattle across the country. The infection has become particularly hard on cattle farmers due to the ongoing economic recession, the party has said, urging the government to provide compensation to the affected farmers and distribute vaccines at the earliest.

The Congress party has also expressed concern that the paddy output could drop this year due to low rainfall. This could have a negative impact on the daily life and annual income of farmers, as well as the overall GDP of the country, the party has said. The NC has asked the government to take proper strategic precautions and manage possible food shortage.

The party has urged the government to declare areas where paddy transplantation is not possible due to delayed or insufficient rains as 'dry areas' and provide necessary relief and compensation to the farmers. Additionally, the NC has also called on the government to provide compensation to victims of floods, landslides, and other catastrophes in different parts of the country.

Similarly, the NC has urged the government to support the people who have been affected due to the wrong intentions of some microfinance banks and cooperatives. The party has asked the government to deliver justice to the depositors and take necessary decisions to support borrowers who have not been able to repay their loans taken on group guarantees.

The NC has also concluded that the enactment of the Citizenship Act, initiated by the party, has brought smiles to the faces of people. The party has requested the government to prepare Citizenship Regulations at the earliest and facilitate the process of citizenship distribution.

Stating that transitional justice laws are crucial to bringing lasting peace in the country, the NC has asked the government to pass transitional justice bills from both Houses of parliament by forging consensus among all parties.

The NC has also drawn the attention of the government to the need to bring crucial laws like the Federal Civil Service Act, Federal Police Act, Federal Education Act, among others, which are crucial for the smooth implementation of federalism.

Stating that groundwater levels in the Tarai Madhes region are depleting due to the impacts of climate change and environmental impacts on the Chure region, the NC has asked the government to find out the reasons behind this and provide a solution to the problem.

Nepali Congress (NC) Spokesperson and Finance Minister Dr Prakash Saran Mahat said that the party adheres to a policy of zero- tolerance against corruption and irregularities.

Speaking at a press meet held at the NC central office in Lalitpur on Wednesday to unveil the decisions of the party's central working committee, the leader said, "The Congress always stands for good governance."

He added that the Nepali Congress is committed to not protecting any individuals involved in any offense.

Mahat said every person is considered innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the law.

According to the party spokesperson, the Nepali Congress has lifted its disciplinary action against rival candidates in the latest three-level elections.

Nepali Congress former general secretary Dr Shashank Koirala said that there is no alternative to Nepali Congress in the Nepali politics.

Stating that the Nepali Congress led all changes that took place so far in the country, he said that if unity is intact within the party, no force could defeat it.

The NC is the vehicle for the country's development and the only one party that can bring economic prosperity in the country, Koirala said.

The leader was speaking at a tea reception organized here in honor of NC office-bearers and members on Tuesday.

NC President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka, General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa, Joint General Secretaries Bhishma Raj Aandembe, Badri Prasad Pandey and Jiban Pariyar, party spokesperson and Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat and leader Dr Shekhar Koirala were present on the occasion.

The ongoing Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of the ruling Nepali Congress underpins the fact that the grand old party is a deeply divided house. The party is not even one when it comes to the issue of investigating and prosecuting corruption scandals involving their own leaders. 

The CWC gathering also showed that its president, Sher Bahadur Deuba, for better or worse, remains a force to reckon with in the party, and that the general secretary duo, Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Parkash Sharma, are not as popular as one believes them to be—not at least among the CWC members.  

Remember the situation of the ruling Nepali Congress before the oft-deferred CWC? Scores of leaders including Thapa and Sharma were critical of Deuba for running the party like a hegemon, without a care for party statute or internal democracy. 

Thapa even contested and lost the Parliamentary Party leader election against Deuba. Other leaders in the NC meanwhile talked about convening the special general convention to replace Deuba.  

At the time it seemed that the Congress president had fallen out of favor, especially after he failed to give continuity to the electoral alliance forged with the CPN (Maoist Center) immediately after the general elections of November last year (the alliance did get continuity eventually after a short-lived ruling partnership between the CPN-UML and Maoists). Deuba took even more battering from his party colleagues following the by-election outcome in Tanahun-1, which was won by Swarnim Wagle of the Rastriya Swatantra Party. Wagle, a former Congress member, had only just quit his old party expressing displeasure with Deuba and his coterie. His electoral victory was resounding and that too in the traditional political base of the NC.    

Many Congress leaders and members demanded answers from Deuba. They wanted a meeting of the CWC, which had not been held for nearly a year even though the party statute requires it to be convened every two months. 

Meanwhile Deuba remained unfazed and continued to maintain silence, even when the fake Bhutanese refugee scandal broke out, which led to the arrest of his close confidant and former home minister, Bal Krishna Khand.    

When Deuba finally agreed to call the CWC meeting, many had expected that he would face harsh criticisms from the leaders for his wilful leadership. There was a litany of complaints against the NC president, ranging from taking unilateral decisions on party as well as national affairs to failing to fix the date of policy convention and not appointing the chiefs of party departments. 

But the CWC meeting saw a different—and unexpected—scenario. It was Thapa and Sharma who got the thrashing for airing the party’s dirty laundry in public. Ironically, the meeting was live streamed for the first time in the party’s history.

The two general secretaries were reprimanded for ruining the party’s image with their call for a leadership change. Several CWC members even excoriated Thapa and Sharma for supporting Khand’s arrest in the refugee scam. The majority of the CWC members are of the view that Khand should be protected and that he must not be suspended from the party. 

What transpired at the CWC meeting is a serious blow to Thapa, who is preparing to fight for party presidency in the next general convention. It is apparent that his party colleagues are not ready to back him.

Despite being popular at the cadre level, Thapa does not have a strong sway among central members of the party.

Senior leader Shekhar Koirala, another party leadership hopeful, remained largely silent throughout what could be dubbed as the trial of Thapa and Sharma. The scion of NC founding leader BP Koirala is said to be maintaining a distance from Thapa to win Deuba’s support in the party leadership race.

As a general secretary, Thapa presented a political document at the meeting, which also faced criticisms from several CWC members. Arzoo Rana Deuba termed the document as a “wish list of non-governmental organizations” that offers no clear direction to the party or the country.

Dozens of CWC members appreciated Deuba’s leadership. Surendra Pandey blamed Thapa and Sharma of spreading negativity against the party president. If Deuba sinks, he warned, both general secretaries and the party will sink.  

Leader Mohan Basnet, also the health minister, criticized Thapa and Sharma for trying to widen the factional rift in the party. 

Ahead of the CWC meeting, the two general secretaries had convened a meeting of district presidents which was boycotted by Deuba and his supporters

Another key agenda of Thapa and Sharma was fighting the next general elections alone, without forming any electoral alliance. Thapa had even suggested leaving the current coalition if the government fails to deliver on its promises.  

But the issue too did not get much support from the CWC members.  

Leader Badri Panday said as the elections are still four years away, there is no need to take any decisions on electoral alliance. 

According to CWC member Bhishma Raj Angdembe, the meeting indicates that the popularity graphs of both general secretaries are going down, while the graph of Deuba is going up. 

After listening to the largely unfavorable views of the CWC members for days, it was time for Thapa and Sharma to speak on Monday. Both of them appeared somewhat defensive. They even softened their positions on several issues. 

Regarding the issue of electoral alliance, Thapa said he was in favor of continuing the current alliance with the Maoist Center until the next general elections. On the issue of leadership change too, Thapa seemed flexible, saying that he wanted to promote internal democracy and the culture of healthy debate inside the party. 

He added that the Nepali citizens were increasingly growing despondent with the current political state of affairs, and that it was upon the Congress party to lead them out of this situation. But first, Thapa told the CWC meeting, the Nepali Congress party should put its house in order.

Sharma reiterated that the NC needs a deep retrospection in order to find its footing to lead the country.

An important meeting of the Nepali Congress Central Working Committee is taking place from tomorrow (Tuesday) after a long time. The Congress has not held a meet of this scale after the last general elections, so this jamboree will be quite important in reinvigorating the party by giving it a fresh impetus. 

The meeting will take up all issues of national importance like measures to end corruption control and ensure good governance. Probing corruption cases without let or hindrance will be one of the important agendas of the meet. 

It will review decisions of the party leadership, ways to play a more effective role in the Parliament and to move ahead by adopting a new approach. The aim will be to energize the party rank and file at all levels. The focus will be on making the party’s stance clear on policy issues, apart from delivering on the promises made. 

The author is a Central Committee Member of the Congress

The Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of the Nepali Congress scheduled to start from today has been postponed.

Party General Secretary Gagan Thapa said that the office bearers and the Central Committee meeting called for today has been postponed following the death of wife of Prime Minister and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Dahal’s wife Sita Dahal passed away on Wednesday. She was 69.

She breathed her last during the course of treatment at the Norvic Hospital at 8: 33 am today, the hospital said.

Dahal’s last rites will be performed at Pashupati Aryaghat at 2 pm today, PM Dahal’s Secretariat said.

Her body will be kept at the party central office Parisdanda, Koteshwar from 11 am to 1 pm to pay the final tributes, the Secretariat said.

Preparations are underway to call the meeting for July 18, the party said.  But the official announcement is yet to be made.

The meeting was called at the party central office in Sanepa from today after a year to discuss the issue of the party's policy general convention.

Prior to the Central Committee meeting, party President Sher Bahadur Deuba had called an office bearers and former office bearers’ meeting at his residence in Dhumbarahi at 9 am today.

On paper, the Nepali Congress is in the pink. The party is a key piece in the coalition government in Kathmandu, leading vital ministerial portfolios, such as finance, defense, health and industry. It is also heading three of the seven provincial governments and 295 out of 753 local governments. 

But there is a sense of unease among many leaders and cadres concerning the party’s future. They say the Congress is confronting multiple challenges which if left unremedied could risk the very existence of the party. This sense of anxiety is also widespread among the district-level leadership of the party, which they made clear when they met at the NC headquarters in Sanepa, Lalitpur, last week. 

A word of assurance from NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba would calm the nerves of the party rank and file at this moment, but that has not happened—and is unlikely to happen. The alarm bell ringers in the party represent the rival factions, and Deuba has so far managed to shrug off their grievances. 

Right after the general elections held in November last year, party leaders have been calling for a Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting to discuss the intra-party and national issues, but Deuba has been postponing it. 

The meeting of the party’s executive committee has finally been set up for Wednesday, which is likely to witness a verbal war between the rival factions. For a long time, Deuba had been avoiding the CWC meeting in an apparent bid to avoid criticism and confrontation. The rival factions are prepared for a showdown with the establishment faction. 

There are multiple issues related to the party and the government that the CWC will have to delve into. The first is holding the party's policy convention which should have taken place immediately after the party's general convention held in 2021. The objective of the policy convention is to review and rework the party's ideological standing in the changing context. 

The second issue is about managing the party's sister organizations torn asunder by the intra-party infighting.  

Madhu Acharya, a CWC member, says they are presenting a detailed report on party reformation prepared on the basis of consultations held in all seven provinces and diaspora community. 

“Our first priority is to fix the date and venue of the policy convention and Mahasamiti meeting. If party leadership does not heed to our request, we will launch a signature campaign to hold the party's special general convention to change the leadership,” Acharya says.

It is no secret that the rival factions do not see Deuba’s leadership in a favorable light. Part of the resentment comes from the fact that Deuba holds a significant sway in all party committees, including the CWC and the Parliamentary Party, and almost no decision can be made without his say-so.  

For example, several appointments are pending in the party's sister organizations due to Deuba’s reluctance. Factional feud inside the NC has spread to the local level, and is eating away at the party and its organizations. There are at least four clear factions in the party: the establishment camp led by Deuba, and others spearheaded by Gagan Kumar Thapa, Shekhar Koirala, and Gururaj Ghimire.

Last week’s meeting of district-level presidents of the party was convened by the Thapa camp. Likewise, the Ghimire-led group also recently sent its representatives to all seven provinces for the “NC resurgence campaign”. The Deuba fold is not pleased with the latest activities of the rival groups.   

“It is inappropriate to call a meeting of district presidents when the whole party mechanisms are unaware about it,” says Nain Singh Mahar, a CWC member and a leader close to Deuba, of the district-level leadership meeting organized by the Thapa camp in Sanepa.

Observers say the growing factional rift in the NC will not help the party’s future. While the party may have the largest share of seats in parliament, they say the strength of the Congress party is waning away. Today’s NC cannot fight elections on its own. In the last year’s general elections, the party had to forge an electoral alliance with the CPN (Maoist Center) and other fringe left parties.  

Despite emerging as the largest party, the NC is currently playing second fiddle to the third-place Maoist party as part of a pre-election power-sharing deal. There is a general dissatisfaction inside the Congress over the performance of the current government. Some leaders are of the view that the party will fail to secure its political base if this government fails to deliver. 

Revelation of corruption scandals involving senior party leaders are also not helping the NC. While the government led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has won acclaim for prosecuting “high profile” individuals, there is a fear that the Maoists could weaponize these corruption cases to ultimately disrepute and weaken the Congress party.   

Many NC leaders are not in favor of joining forces with ideologically opposite communist parties just for the sake of securing parliamentary seats. 

The meteoric rise of the newly formed Rastriya Swatantra Party has also rattled the Congress, along with other traditional mainstream political forces of Nepal. 

The NC youth leaders and members in particular seem tired of Deuba’s leadership.  

A few days ago, NC rival leader and general secretary, Thapa, made his intention known about his plan to unseat Deuba as the parliamentary party leader. 

“I am pretty clear that the same leader should not become prime minister again. So I am trying my best to change the parliamentary party leader,” he said at a public program.

Thapa had contested and lost against Deuba in the PP election held after last year’s general elections. He was defeated by a huge margin despite getting the support from Koirala, another rival leader in the NC.  

Thapa and Koirala are no longer together, as both of them are vying for the post of Congress president. Koirala has been working hard to improve his ties with Deuba.  

In Wednesday’s CWC meeting, Koriala is expected to restrain himself from criticizing Deuba’s leadership. But the same cannot be said for rival leaders Thapa and Ghimire, who could launch an all-out attack on Deuba.