Nepali Congress (NC) has once again postponed its general convention.
The party, that had first scheduled to hold the 14th general convention from February 19-22, 2021, has postponed it five times. It will now be held from December 10-12 instead of November 25-29.
It will hold ward convention in the remaining 13 districts on November 13.
The party that had initiated process for the 14th general convention almost two years back has been unable to resolve the dispute about active membership due to delay in integration of those joining the party quitting other parties.
The party has completed ward convention in 64 out of 77 districts but convention of rural/municipality has yet to be completed in many of those districts. It had planned to complete even district convention in 21 mountainous districts before the Dashain festival but has completed that only in 14 districts.
NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, whose four-year term expired in March 2020, had given himself a one-year term extension which meant his term expired on March 3, 2021. The party had also decided to hold the next general convention from February 19-22, 2021. But it could not be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
NC delayed the general convention taking help from the Constitution which has a provision of a six-month extension for parties in special circumstances. "Provided that in case election of the office bearers could not be held within five years due to situation arising out of special circumstance, there shall be no hindrance to make provision in the statute of a political party to hold such election within a period of six months," states the provision in Article 269(4b) of the Constitution related to political parties.
But even that six-month extension has expired now.
