The Nepali Congress has selected new leadership for two of the five sister organizations that were automatically dissolved after failing to hold their general conventions within the stipulated time.
Only the leadership of the Nepal Women’s Association and the Nepal Tarun Dal has been appointed, with the working committees or members yet to be named.
According to NC leaders, leadership selection is still pending for the Nepal Students’ Union, the Dalit Association, and the Democratic Sports Association.
The NC has long failed to hold conventions of most of its sister organizations. Even during Sher Bahadur Deuba’s two terms as party president, these organizations continued to operate through ad hoc committees.
The ad hoc committees were formed with the mandate to hold general conventions, but after they failed to hold general conventions within the given deadlines, the party repeatedly extended their tenures.
However, the party dissolved five sister organizations on April 18. Before the dissolution, only Tarun Dal President Bidwan Gurung had resigned from his post. Gurung had been appointed as ad hoc committee president by Deuba.
NC President Gagan Thapa has now appointed Mina Kharel of Chitwan as president of the Nepal Women’s Association and Manish Koirala of Kathmandu as president of the Nepal Tarun Dal. Leadership appointments for the remaining three sister organizations are still pending.
According to Thapa, leadership selection for these organizations will be completed by May 29. The new leaders have reportedly been appointed with a concrete roadmap for holding general conventions.
However, student leaders from the non-establishment faction are demanding guarantees that the general conventions will actually take place. They are protesting President Thapa's move, accusing him of merely continuing the past practice of forming ad hoc committees.
