General Secretary Gagan Thapa is in a mood to not contest the election if the party leadership and policies are not changed before the election.
What you should know
After the establishment faction, which holds the majority in the Central Working Committee and the Performance Committee, concluded that no general convention would be held before the February 21 elections, the other factions have begun their homework to convene a special general convention.
Leader Subash Pokharel said that the leaders in favor of the special general convention are discussing to convene a meeting on Saturday for that purpose. They are preparing to postpone all other agendas in the Central Working Committee meeting today and issue a letter of attention to discuss the petition for a special general convention registered at the central office on Asoj 29.
Pokharel said that there is no alternative to a special general convention after the Central Working Committee concluded that the regular general convention will not be held. After discussing the agenda, the Central Working Committee is going to draw attention to the fact that the Central Working Committee itself should call a special general convention.
‘If the assembly says the party will split, the Central Working Committee itself should call a special general convention, we have said that we will participate in that general convention, but if the constitution also violates the provision that a special general convention must be called in the name of the majority, then the majority representatives will call a special general convention,’ he said, ‘We urge all office bearers and members, including the president, acting president, general secretary, to participate in it.’
He said that such a decision will be taken at the meeting of the special general convention supporters to be held on Saturday. The Congress constitution has made a provision that if a special general convention is demanded by the signatures of 40 percent of the general convention representatives, it must be called within three months. The petition demanding a special general convention with the signatures of 53 percent of the general convention representatives was registered at the central office on Asoj 29.
In the previous Central Working Committee meeting, a schedule was brought to hold a regular general convention amid heated debates over whether to hold a general convention before the election. The ward convention was scheduled to start from Poush 16 and the central general convention was scheduled to be held from Poush 26-29. However, since the work of distributing active membership, renewing it and resolving disputes has not been completed yet, it is almost certain that the general convention will not be held within the said schedule.
General secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma had proposed holding a general convention directly by holding only ward and area conventions out of the seven levels below. They argue that the central general convention can be held by postponing the other four level conventions after the election. However, the establishment party is not ready for that.
General Secretary Thapa also informed the Central Working Committee meeting on Thursday that he will not contest the election without changing the party's leadership and policy before the election. Another general secretary, Sharma, has already decided not to contest in the upcoming elections. Leaders in favor of a special general convention have concluded that it is not possible to go to the elections with the current leadership.
Leader Subash Pokharel has warned that not only the general secretary but many leaders will not take tickets under the signature of the current leadership. 'The party president wants to stay in power, if he wants to continue as president for another year, then he can become a candidate in the special general convention,' he said, 'come and compete, get approved by the general convention like UML President KP Oli. But it is our decision that the provision of the statute requiring a special general convention cannot be violated.'
