The Nepali Congress is holding its federal constituency and provincial assembly constituency-level conventions in various districts on Sunday as part of its general convention process.
The conventions had originally been scheduled for September 26, but due to heavy rainfall, the party’s election committee allowed them to be held by September 29.
According to Raju Katuwal, member secretary of the Nepali Congress central election committee, constituency-level conventions will be held in 13 districts on Sunday, 29 districts on Monday, and nine districts on Tuesday.
He said that conventions are being held in Jhapa, Morang, Kathmandu, Myagdi, Baglung, Arghakhanchi, Pyuthan, Banke, Dolpa, Mugu, Humla, Kalikot, and Surkhet on Sunday.
Likewise, constituency-level conventions are scheduled for Monday in 29 districts: Taplejung, Panchthar, Tehrathum, Bhojpur, Solukhumbu, Khotang, Okhaldhunga, Dolakha, Ramechhap, Sindhuli, Dhading, Sindhupalchowk, Kavre, Bhaktapur, Gorkha, Lamjung, Tanahun, Kaski, Parbat, Syangja, Nawalpur, Rupandehi, Gulmi, Dang, Salyan, Bajura, Bajhang, Achham, and Kailali.
According to the election committee, constituency-level conventions are scheduled for Tuesday in six districts – Sunsari, Nuwakot, Makawanpur, Nawalparasi, Bardiya, and Dailekh – and for Wednesday in Ilam.
According to Katuwal, the central election committee has received reports that 17 other districts held their conventions as originally scheduled on Saturday.
Results have already been announced in four districts, including former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba's home district of Dadeldhura, while the election process has been underway since Saturday in 13 other districts, Katuwal said.
The three other districts that have already completed their constituency-level conventions are Manang, Mustang, and Bajhang.
Meanwhile, the election process is continuing on Sunday in Sankhuwasabha, Dhankuta, Udayapur, Chitwan, Lalitpur, Kapilvastu, Rukum East, Rukum West, Rolpa, Jumla, Doti, Darchula, and Kanchanpur.
In some other districts, dates have yet to be fixed. However, the election committee said that the conventions will be completed by September 29 as they have been instructed to do so by that deadline.
The federal constituency conventions are considered important because they elect federal constituency working committees, central general convention representatives, and Mahasamiti members.
A large number of party leaders and workers have filed candidacies for the positions of general convention representative.
Since only general convention representatives can participate in the central general convention and the Mahasamiti meeting and contest elections for the central working committee, competition for general convention representative positions is expected to be intense.
Central leaders as well as younger members are competing, while prominent artists and professionals have also entered the race for general convention representatives. They are campaigning among the constituency representatives, including by making phone calls, sending SMS messages, and posting campaign materials on social media.
Municipal presidents and provincial assembly constituency presidents will be ex-officio members of federal constituency working committees and provincial assembly constituency working committees, respectively, and will automatically become general convention representatives. According to the Nepali Congress statute, ex-officio members have the right to vote but cannot contest as candidates.
House of Representatives constituency working committees will each have one elected president and one elected secretary. There will be two joint secretaries, including one woman, while one treasurer will be nominated by the president. There is no provision for a vice-president in this committee. The election guidelines provide for the election of 18 working committee members.
Of these 18 members, three each will be elected from provincial assembly constituencies A and B – one woman and two open-category members from each – for a total of six. Four members, including one woman, will be elected under the open category; two young members, including one woman, will be elected from the youth category; and six will be elected under proportional representation based on population. An additional six people may be nominated as constituency working committee members.
The constituency conventions will also elect general convention representatives. Each federal constituency will elect 33 general convention representatives, including four women, 10 under the open category, three youths including one woman, and 10 under the proportional representation category based on population. In addition, one representative each will be selected from among workers, professional experts, persons with disabilities, Muslims and other minorities, Dalits, democracy fighters, families of martyrs, and conflict victims.
The federal constituency conventions will also elect Mahasamiti members who will participate in the party's Mahasamiti meeting. Each constituency will select 12 such members: two women, five under the open category, one youth below the age of 35, and four under the proportional representation category based on population.
Similarly, the provincial assembly constituency conventions will elect provincial assembly constituency working committees for both A and B constituencies and select provincial representatives for provincial conventions.
The provincial assembly constituency working committees will each have one elected president, one vice-president, and one secretary. Two joint secretaries, including one woman, will be selected. The treasurer will be nominated by the president from among the members of the provincial assembly constituency working committee.
The working committee will have two elected women members, one Dalit member, one youth member, three open-category members, and six members elected under proportional representation based on population. An additional seven members may be nominated to the working committee.
The same conventions will select provincial representatives: two women, eight open-category representatives, two youths including one woman, and six under proportional representation based on population. One representative each may also be selected from among professional experts, workers, persons with disabilities, minorities, Dalits, democracy fighters, families of martyrs, and conflict victims.
After the constituency-level conventions are completed, the Nepali Congress will hold its central general convention. The party has said that preparations are underway to hold the central general convention at Khula Manch in Kathmandu from October 2 to 5.
