While representatives from the district have started moving to Kathmandu, the process of adding representatives and withdrawing signatures in favor of the special general convention is also ongoing.
What you should know
As the special general convention raises the risk of changing the leadership with the participation of a majority of delegates, the establishment party is working hard to stop the general convention delegates.
The Central Working Committee, which has a majority of members from the establishment party, has appealed not to participate in the special general convention called by General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma, calling it illegal.
General Secretaries Thapa and Sharma, on the other hand, have proposed to hold the special general convention with institutional ownership, saying that it can be made progressive agenda and policy-focused. They have also expressed their commitment not to take the path of party division. Since there is no consensus on the position of President Sher Bahadur Deuba, the possibility of holding a special general convention by consensus has almost ended.
An emergency meeting of the Central Working Committee held on Thursday has urged the Thapa and Sharma supporters to withdraw the decision of the special general convention. The Central Working Committee meeting held last Friday had concluded that the rationale for the special general convention has ended. The petition submitted on 29 Asoj demanded that a special general convention be held only if the regular general convention is not held on time, and the establishment party argues that the rationale for the special general convention has ended after the regular general convention schedule was brought on 15 Mangesh.
The Central Working Committee has argued that the special general convention will lead the party towards division and will harm the House of Representatives elections to be held on 21 Falgun. The decision of the meeting states, ‘It is the need of the day for the Congress to unite and prepare for the general elections, taking to heart the possibility of the country being pushed towards instability.’ The decision of the meeting states that the right to call a convention or special general convention at any level, as provided in the statute, belongs to the party’s central committee only, not to any individual party official or member.
General Secretaries Thapa and Sharma, on the other hand, have been claiming that the special general convention is a legitimate means of moving the party forward according to the rules, procedures and public sentiment. They allege that the establishment party is exerting psychological influence and pressure through organizational control to prevent representatives from participating. The general secretaries say that they have called the special general convention to comply with the statute and establish rules after the Central Working Committee did not take a decision.
The statute stipulates that a special general convention should be called within three months if 40 percent of the delegates sign the petition. The majority, that is, 54 percent of the delegates, had filed a petition demanding a special general convention on 29 Asoj, according to which the special general convention should have been called within 28 Poush.
The question of whether or not the majority of delegates will participate in the special general convention is pushing the internal power struggle of the Congress to a decisive stage. General Secretary Thapa says that President Deuba still has the opportunity to take ownership of the special general convention to unite the Congress. Thapa and Sharma say that if the central working committee decides and creates an environment where 100 percent delegates participate, it will send a message of unity in the Congress.
In the meeting of the working committee on Thursday, General Secretary Thapa had said, ‘You (acting president) should convey this message to the president through him that you should take ownership of the special general convention called on 27 and 28 Pus as per the statute. Participating in the special general convention increases the prestige of the president. It will help in moving the special general convention forward smoothly. Rather than deciding from here to withdraw the signatures of the friends who are coming to the general convention from here, this general convention is ours, the Central Working Committee takes ownership by making a decision, and the unity of the Congress will become stronger and move towards the path of reform.’
Party spokesperson Prakasharan Mahat claims that 50 percent of the delegates will not be able to reach it as even leader Shekhar Koirala is not in favor of the special general convention. He says, ‘It is impossible to say exactly how many will come. But the attendance of the delegates is very low. The process of withdrawing signatures is ongoing. They would say that we have reached 50 percent, 70 percent.’
According to leaders, leader Shekhar Koirala is under pressure as the number of delegates participating in the special general convention does not appear to be significantly reduced. He met President Deuba on Thursday morning and urged him to find a middle ground. However, leaders say that President Deuba does not want to hear about the special general convention. Spokesperson Mahat said that there is no possibility of reaching an agreement on the special general convention after the Central Working Committee officially decided that it was no longer appropriate.
Leaders say that Koirala is calling district and regional presidents close to him to request them to stop the delegates. However, leaders who supported Koirala in the past are unhappy that he has abandoned the agenda he raised. ‘Until 23 Bhadra, the general secretaries were publicly saying that the general convention would be held by Mangsir 083. But at that time, Shekhar Dai used to say that a regular general convention should be held within Mangsir 082, otherwise the central working committee should call a special general convention,' said a leader close to him, 'After receiving a positive signal from him, many representatives of the Koirala faction have signed for a special general convention. He came today and left the agenda himself.' Devraj Chalise, a leader in favor of a special general convention, said that he would support the agenda, not the individual. He added, 'The current power struggle within the party is for power or for values and progressive agenda.'
The process of adding and removing representatives continues
19 representatives led by Congress Jumla Vice President Karma Budha boarded a bus for the special general convention on Thursday itself. According to Vice President Budha, there are 26 general convention representatives in Jumla. 19 representatives who went to Kathmandu had signed in favor of the special general convention three months ago.
In Salyan, 10 people, including District President Kesha Bahadur Bista, have signed in favor of the special general convention. The total number of general convention delegates there is 27. Out of 26 delegates from Rukum West, 9 will participate, informed the general convention delegate Khadak Bahadur Dangi. According to him, 18 people from Jajarkot had signed. 9 from Surkhet and 11 from Kalikot had signed in favor of the special general convention. Central member Karna Bahadur Budha, elected from Dolpa, is also in favor of the special general convention.
Leaders say that out of 312 general convention delegates in Karnali, about 40 percent are in favor of the special general convention. 137 (about 44 percent) delegates had signed in favor of the special general convention.
Those who expressed dissatisfaction with the selection of candidates for the National Assembly and House of Representatives member elections will be added to the special general convention, claims Dangi, the general convention representative from Rukum West. '2/4 people have withdrawn, 5/7 people in almost all districts are dissatisfied with the selection of candidates,' he says, 'Even if they do not sign, they have promised to participate in the special general convention.'
Dangi claimed that the number of participants from Karnali in the special general convention will be reduced by 50 percent. General convention representative from Dailekh Basana Thapa said that the atmosphere is building in favor of the special general convention and that the majority of the general convention representatives will participate. Out of 51 representatives from Sindhuli, 37 have already signed in favor of the special general convention. 19 from Region 1 and 18 from Region 2 have signed. Most of the representatives are in Kathmandu, while those in the district are also leaving for the capital on Thursday.
Out of the 52 general convention delegates from Kavre, 36 have come out in favor of the special general convention. Of them, 35 had already signed. They are preparing to participate in the special general convention with a tableau. Out of the 104 general convention delegates from Sunsari, 76 have signed in favor of the special general convention. Two of them have already left for Kathmandu, while most of the delegates are preparing to arrive on Friday and Saturday. According to former Kathmandu president Sabuj Baniya, there are about 240 general convention delegates in the district, excluding those who have been prosecuted, died, and left the party. Out of them, 197 have signed in favor of the special general convention. 'In the meantime, one person will withdraw his signature and one will be added. The number has not gone up or down, it is the same,' Baniya said. In Lalitpur, 26 out of 81 and in Bhaktapur, 14 out of 54 have come out in favor of the special general convention. Out of the 54 delegates from Bardiya, seven are in favor of the special general convention. Representative Ramchandra Thapa claims that this number will increase by the time he goes to Kathmandu.
Two of the 24 general convention delegates from Sankhuwasabha have left the party. Out of the remaining 22, 10 have come out in favor of the special general convention. Earlier, 17 had signed. 7 have withdrawn their signatures. Dhankuta Congress President Dinesh Rai has urged the delegates to attend the special general convention compulsorily. Out of 26 general convention delegates from Dhankuta, 17 have signed in favor of the special general convention. There are 26 general convention delegates in Dadeldhura, the home district of Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba. Among them, only Janakraj Chataut has come out in favor of the special general convention.
More than 60 percent of the delegates from Lumbini Province have come out in favor of the special general convention. Out of 12 districts in the province, 9 district presidents are in favor of the special general convention. According to Congress Province President Amar Singh Pun, district presidents of West Nawalparasi, Palpa, Gulmi, Arghakhanchi, Banke, Kapilvastu, Pyuthan, Rolpa and East Rukum have already signed in favor of the special general convention.
According to Pun, there are 1,352 general convention delegates from 52 constituencies in Lumbini. In addition, there are about 50 from various fraternal organizations. Of these, about 850 have come out in favor of the special general convention. ‘Two days ago, 56 percent of the delegates were in favor of the special general convention, now it has crossed 60 percent,’ he said. ‘Since it is continuously increasing, we estimate that it will reach 70 percent by Friday evening.’
80 people from Rupandehi have signed in favor of the special general convention. In Rupandehi, there are 130 from the constituency and 7 from the fraternal organization. 4 people have withdrawn their signatures demanding a regular general convention. A total of 15 people from Lumbini Province have withdrawn their signatures. But the number of those who will be added is 32.
It is claimed that 55 percent of the delegates in Madhesh Province have already turned out in favor of a special general convention. There are 823 delegates in 8 districts of Madhesh Province. Of these, 416 have signed in favor of a special general convention. Leaders say that even though some have withdrawn, signatures are being added. The establishment party and leader Shekhar Koirala have pressured the delegates to withdraw their signatures over the telephone, but they are not complying. Madhesh Province Working Committee Chairman Krishna Prasad Yadav is in favor of establishment, while Vice Chairman Birendra Singh is in favor of a special general convention. Five members of the Province Working Committee who are in favor of establishment had already issued a joint statement and urged the delegates not to participate in the special general convention.
In Sarlahi, 70 out of 103 people, in Parsa, 40 out of 100, in Bara, 63 out of 104 people, and in Rautahat, 21 out of 110 people are in favor of the special general convention. In Mahottari, 54 out of 105 people (an increase of 6 people), and 23 out of 100 are in favor of the special general convention. In Siraha, 76 out of 101 people have signed in favor of the special general convention. In Saptari, 69 out of 100 delegates have signed in favor of the special general convention.
According to Subash Pokharel, coordinator of the special general convention publicity committee, the establishment party has returned 57 signatory delegates from across the country. He claimed that more than 150 delegates have been added in favor of the special general convention. 'Looking at the situation so far, it seems that it will reach above 54 percent. त्यसको मुख्य कारण नेतृत्वले समानुपातिक उम्मेदवार छनोटमा न्याय नगरेको, राष्ट्रिय सभामा असन्तुलित र असमावेशी ढंगले खल्तीका मान्छेलाई उम्मेदवार बनाएको जस्ता कारणले विशेष महाधिवेशनमा आउने प्रतिनिधिको संख्या बढिरहेको छ ।’
विदेशस्थित जनसम्पर्क समितिबाट समेत विशेष महाधिवेशनमा भाग लिन आउन थालेका छन् । प्रतिनिधिहरूको आवास तथा खानाको व्यवस्था आयोजकले गरिसकेको छ । आवासका लागि होटलमा १४ सय कोठा ‘बुक’ गरिसकिएको छ । हिमाली क्षेत्रका प्रतिनिधिलाई २६ पुसदेखि नै काठमाडौंमा राख्ने व्यवस्था गरिएको छ । ‘धेरैजसो आफ्नो घर र आफन्तकामा बस्ने भएकाले १४ सय कोठा मात्रै बुक गरिएको हो,’ पोखरेलले भने ।
