Nepali Congress general convention representatives who submitted signatures demanding a special general convention have held a women’s gathering.
On Thursday, they gathered at Arpan Banquet in Thapagaun, New Baneshwar, Kathmandu. Central members Pratima Gautam and Sapana Rajbhandari Joshi, among others, attended the gathering.
Out of the NC’s 4,743 general convention representatives, 2,488 submitted their signatures to acting party president Purna Bahadur Khadka on October 15, demanding a special general convention.
However, present and former office-bearers have emphasized holding a regular general convention instead of a special one. As a result, the verification of the submitted signatures and further procedures have not moved forward.
The party’s ongoing central working committee meeting has also failed to bring a consensus-based schedule for the regular general convention.
Representatives demanding a special general convention have been urging party leadership to move the process ahead.
General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, along with several other leaders, are in favor of holding a special general convention if the 15th general convention cannot be held before the upcoming elections. According to the party statute, a special general convention must be held within three months in such a case.
Meanwhile, some present and former office-bearers from the faction led by party president Sher Bahadur Deuba argue that the general convention can only be held around April-May after the elections.
As the announcement of the NC’s general convention schedule continues to be delayed, supporters of both the special convention and regular convention have been holding separate gatherings in Kathmandu and other places.
