The reason behind the Congress not holding its general convention in Mangsir is not only the Falgun 21 election, but also the fact that the second generation leaders, especially, are trying to use the general convention strategically to preserve their political future and relevance within the party.
What you should know
Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, while attending the Central Working Committee meeting on Asoj 12, gave the responsibility of acting president to Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka. He also urged to hold a regular general convention within the time frame stipulated in the statute. After Deuba's statement, acting president Khadka has been saying in public programs that the party will take the decision of holding a regular general convention. In the Central Working Committee meeting, all the establishment-oriented leaders have advocated for a regular general convention. Leaders from other parties, including Shekhar Koirala, General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash, are also in favor of a regular general convention.
If everyone is in favor of a regular general convention, why is General Secretary Thapa not able to bring in an executive? According to Congress leader Shekhar Koirala, there is a difference of opinion between the establishment and the other parties on the date of holding a regular general convention. The establishment party has not wanted to hold a general convention before the House of Representatives elections, which were announced by raising technical issues for which preparations have not been completed on the surface. Since the statute provides for an extension of one year, establishment party leaders are seen in favor of extending the term by at least 6 months.
The establishment party is in favor of holding a general convention within Mangsir to address the impact and issues of the Gen-G movement. Other party leaders Koirala and General Secretary Thapa have the same opinion on the issue of a regular general convention. Koirala has a different view on the option of a special general convention. Koirala is in favor of the party's 15th general convention, which will change the leadership from ward to center even if it takes some more time. However, General Secretary Thapa is in favor of moving forward the process of demanding a special general convention with 54 percent signatures registered at the central office, Sanepa, on Asoj 29, if not in Mangsir itself.
Despite the election announcement, the UML has already moved ahead with preparations for the general convention. The representatives have entered the selection phase. However, the Congress has been embroiled in the controversy over the general convention for about a month and a half since the Gen-G movement. Most leaders are in favor of the election. However, the Congress has not yet formulated a formal view on this. Even though the party meeting has been extended, signs of the dispute within the Congress are starting to flare up after the establishment side appears to be planning to postpone both the regular and special conventions in Mangsir.
Invisible games that do not want a general convention
A three-generation struggle is currently being seen within the Congress. Even though Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has given the responsibility of acting president to Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka, the Congress understands that in the future, for his own safety, he can still try to make a president who suits him from the outside. According to a leader close to him, he is weighing the power struggle between acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka, leader Shekhar Koirala and general secretary Gagan Thapa for that. Leaders close to Deuba are assessing that one of Khadka and Koirala can be promoted. ‘There is a possibility that either of Shekhar and Khadka can be promoted,’ said a leader close to Deuba. Despite being over 70 years old, Koirala has not yet faced a governance test.
Before the Gen-G movement, seven former office bearers had been pressuring Deuba to appoint one of them as his successor from an informal level. These include former office bearers Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Prakash Man Singh, Bimalendra Nidhi, Vijay Kumar Gachheddar, Shashank Koirala, Gopal Man Shrestha and Prakasharan Mahat. Although they could not take the leadership of the government and the party, they have been tested on both fronts for a long time. After the Gen-G movement, this alliance of seven has collapsed. The seven do not have the same opinion on the dissolution of parliament and elections. Most of them, including Nidhi, are in favor of elections. Sitaula has been advocating for restoration instead of elections. Shrestha has increased his inclination towards the monarchy by saying that the Congress should hold a dialogue with the powers including the former king through a press conference a few days ago.
The biggest emphasis on whether or not to hold both regular and special sessions in Mangsir is on these seven. Leaders say that they are worried that if the party leadership reaches the Gagan Pusta generation after the general convention before the election, their relevance will be in danger. On the other hand, there is a concern that holding the general convention before the election will weaken their role in ticket distribution.
‘All the friends of the central working committee of the establishment party speak in favor of the regular general convention even when speaking in the central committee and outside. In my opinion, the regular general convention should be held within Mangsir.’ However, they (the establishment party) want to extend their term by relying on the provision that allows for an additional year in the statute.’ In an interview with Kantipur, Congress leader Koirala said, ‘Who will distribute tickets in the elections behind this? There may be an attempt to postpone the regular general convention due to concerns about whether or not they will retain their dominance in ticket distribution.’
Koirala also urged senior leaders not to worry about such concerns since the party is run collectively.
‘Distributing tickets is done together. It is not given by one party and one leader. Rather than worrying about whether or not one will retain its dominance tomorrow, or whether or not one will have the upper hand in ticket distribution, we should worry about whether or not the party will remain united at this time,' he said.
Establishment party member Shyam Ghimire says that the current problems should be solved through a middle-of-the-road option. He said that the current dispute should be resolved even if the executive is brought in so that the general convention is held in Mangsir itself. 'Now, no one should make decisions by keeping the party at the center, not themselves. We cannot move forward by ignoring 54 percent signatures,' Ghimire said, 'The solution that will be a win-win for both parties is to bring a regular general convention schedule within Mangsir.'
Leaders in favor of the special general convention have accused the leaders of trying to stop the regular general convention in Mangsir, keeping their political future at the center. They say that it is not logical that UML can hold a general convention on the eve of the election but Congress cannot.
Young leader Devraj Chalise asked whether they would vote for a party that has improved or a party that is still in the status quo, and said that the central working committee meeting should take a decision to move forward with one of the regular or special general conventions in Mangsir itself.
‘If people who have reached responsible levels look at their political future and go for ego and stubbornness, it will not benefit the party. We need both 54 and 46 percent. The agenda and ideas may be different. However, it should be understood that all of this is for party reform. It is not right to consider party reform as opposition,’ Chalise said, ‘Should we think about our political future or keep the party at the center? If we think about it with the party at the center, the dispute will be resolved. If not kept, the dispute will increase.'
Another reason is the distribution of new active members. There are about 900,000 active members in the Congress. No new membership has been distributed since the 14th General Convention. Representatives of regional conventions are elected from active membership. The three elected representatives select the representatives of the general convention held at the center. Therefore, since the active membership distribution determines who will be the central president of the party, the main interest of the leaders is linked to this.
As soon as new membership is distributed, disputes arise in districts. Not only for the president of the center, but also for taking the leadership of the province, district and region, the competition to increase the membership to suit oneself starts from the bottom. That is why disputes arise. There is a practice of forming a separate committee at the center to resolve disputes. Although there is no problem in renewal, a committee has not yet been formed to resolve the disputes that appear in the new distribution. The establishment party is arguing that it is impossible to hold a general convention before Baisakh, saying that it will take about 6 months from the distribution of active membership to resolving the dispute.
General Secretary Thapa is putting forward the argument that it can be concluded within two weeks by opening some time to give membership to all those who want to come to represent the Gen-G generation. A few days ago, he had made public a proposal with two options to hold a regular general convention from Mangsir 27-29. One is a proposal to hold the 15th general convention with a convention of the entire lower committee, while the other is a proposal to hold a central general convention after completing the conventions of the ward, regional and public relations committees. If the central working committee does not take a decision in the regular general convention, he has maintained that a special general convention should be held on the same date.
