Presidents of Nepali Congress (NC) in 45 districts currently in Kathmandu to attend a meeting called by senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel have claimed that the party is not being run in accordance to the statute.
There is dispute inside the party after NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba unilaterally gave himself a one-year term extension and announced date for the next general convention.
District presidents close to Paudel and Krishna Sitaula, General Secretary Shashank Koirala, and the central leaders not affiliated to Deuba camp are all attending the meetingthat started on Monday.
The 45 district presidents have have alleged that Deuba made amendment in the party statute to strengthen his hold in the party.
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 and suspended clause 14 related to party membership effective only until the general convention.
The major bone of contention is dispute in the party after the central committee suspended the clause that allowed active membership only a year after receiving general membership, and ruled that the central committee can grant active membership at any time it deems appropriate.
The factions of Paudel and Sitaula believe that the clause has been suspended to ensure that Deuba faction emerge victorious in the general convention as only active members can particiapte in party elections.
The factions of Paudel and Krishna Sitaula are seething after Deuba refused to implement the statute prepared by the Mahasamiti meeting a year back by suspending its clause on the basis of majority.
The district presidents have opposed suspension of the statute prepared by Mahasamiti.
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.
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 on December 27.
