The meeting of district presidents of Nepali Congress (NC) called by senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel has started with over 40 district presidents in attendance.
District presidents close to Paudel and Krishna Sitaula are attending the meeting. The meeting that started at the party office in Sanepa Monday afternoon also includes central committee members close to Paudel and Sitaula but Sitaula himself is not present.
The district presidents close to NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba have not attended the meeting.
The factions of Paudel and Krishna Sitaula are angry after Deuba unilaterally gave himself a one-year term extension and announced date for the next general convention.
Deuba, whose four-year term expires in March 2020, got his term extended through the central committee meeting on December 27 using the extension provision of the party statute. His term will now expire on March 3, 2021. The meeting also decided to hold the next general convention from February 19-22, 2021.
The meeting extended the term of Nepal Tarun Dal led by Jeet Jung Basnet by six months. It also increased the number of departments to 47 from 28 but the departments have yet to be given full shape.
It, however, did not decide about the Nepal Students Union despite Deuba proposing to appoint leaders of the student wing during the central committee meeting on December 12.
Senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel, General Secretary Shashank Koirala, Treasurer Sita Devi Yadav and leaders from Paudel faction were not present during the meeting on December 27.
Central members of the Paudel faction were holding a separate meeting at the residence of former general secretary Prakash Man Singh in Chaksibari when Deuba was taking decisions through the central committee meeting at the party office in Sanepa.
The factions of Paudel and Krishna Sitaula have boycotted all meetings after Deuba presented proposals including increasing the number of party departments to 51 from 28, and completing Nepal Tarun Dal, Nepal Students Union among others to the central committee meeting for discussion on December 12.
