A meeting of the Nepali Congress central disciplinary committee held on Wednesday decided to ask leader Purna Bahadur Khadka, who has been issuing statements in his capacity as acting party president, to furnish clarification within seven days.
The party remains sharply divided between those who participated in the special general convention held in January and those who did not. While that convention elected a new leadership under Gagan Thapa, the faction led by then-president Sher Bahadur Deuba boycotted the event. At that time, Khadka was serving as acting party president.
Deuba and Khadka subsequently moved the Supreme Court to challenge the Election Commission’s recognition of the special general convention. The case is still pending.
Even while the case remains sub judice, Khadka has continued to issue statements in his capacity as acting president.
The new committee elected by the special general convention is unhappy that Khadka has been issuing statements “claiming responsibilities he does not hold.”
The disciplinary committee had previous warned Khadka after he issued statements as acting president. Since he issued another statement in the same capacity on April 13, the committee meeting held on Wednesday decided to issue a seven-day notice to him seeking clarification.
Immediately after the disciplinary committee decided to seek clarification, we spoke with leader Khadka.
Here is his statement:
“You are all aware that I went to the Supreme Court in the capacity of acting president as per the decision of the central committee (which had authorized the acting president to handle legal matters) because I believe the special general convention was unconstitutional.
The special general convention is illegitimate. The president and all office-bearers elected from it are illegitimate. The Election Commission’s decision is one-sided and against the Constitution, against the statute of the political party and the Nepali Congress, and against the precedents established by the Election Commission in the past. That is why I went to the Supreme Court as acting president following the decision of the central committee.
For the same reason, I also refused to participate in the House of Representatives election held on March 5 by accepting tickets distributed through the decision of the president and committee elected by the illegitimate special general convention, saying it would be politically immoral. That case is still pending in court.
Therefore, I have filed a case in the Supreme Court, in my capacity as acting president, against those committees which I consider illegitimate. What is the meaning of the committee — which I have challenged as illegitimate — seeking clarification from me? I do not even recognize it. I have filed a case and the matter is sub judice.
Seeking clarification from me is meaningless and ridiculous. Everyone should wait for the Supreme Court’s verdict. Once the decision comes, we all must proceed accordingly.”
