Five former office-bearers of the Nepali Congress close to party President Sher Bahadur Deuba held a discussion in Chaksibari, Kathmandu, on Sunday.
The former office-bearers included former vice-president Bimalendra Nidhi, former general secretaries Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Prakash Man Singh, Shashank Koirala, and spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat.
They met at Singh’s residence in Chaksibari, stating that General Secretary Gagan Thapa, along with another General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma and central committee member Pradeep Paudel, had proposed a special general convention.
The agenda of the discussion included the current political situation, the upcoming central committee meeting, and the recovery of Deuba’s health.
However, one leader revealed that during the discussions, the former office-bearers claimed that General Secretary Thapa had initiated a signature campaign to demand a special general convention. The leader did not provide details on where or how Thapa was collecting signatures from members.
During the movement led by Gen Z youths on September 9, protestors had entered Deuba’s residence and attacked the Deuba couple. The couple is currently receiving treatment at a military hospital.
“President Deuba is recovering, and once he is well, a central committee meeting will be held under his leadership soon. It will review all events from the September 8 protests by Gen Z to the present and determine future strategies,” former vice-president Nidhi said during the discussion.
He emphasized the need for broader unity within the party.
“There is a greater need for internal unity in the party now than ever before. Friends across the country are wondering what will happen next. Today’s challenges are greater than in the past, and they must be addressed. We must not let party workers feel disheartened,” Nidhi said.
Former general secretary Sitaula also stressed the necessity of internal unity within the party.
“The nation is in crisis, and the Nepali Congress must provide solutions. For that, internal unity is necessary,” he said during the discussion. “The Congress must act strongly and unitedly for democracy.”
The former office-bearers also said that no one should engage in actions that weaken the party. Noting the differing statements from various leaders within the party, they expressed confidence that the central committee would adopt a unified stance moving forward.
Before the discussion, spokesperson Mahat talked to journalists.
He remarked that while President Deuba was injured and hospitalized, some leaders were raising issues of party transformation and a special convention, which he described as “rubbing salt in the wound.”
His remarks were directed at General Secretaries Thapa and Sharma. Both had said during Friday’s central working committee meeting that either a regular or special general convention should be held.
