The second special general convention of the Nepali Congress is starting from Sunday at Bhrikutimandap as per the demand of 54 percent of the general convention delegates. However, the faction of President Sher Bahadur Deuba, who has rejected not only the demand for generational change in politics and the spirit of Gen-G rebellion, but also the party's statute and the rights of the general convention delegates, has called the special general convention illegal.

This is the second special general convention in the nearly 80-year history of the Nepali Congress. Suvarna Shumsher, who became the president in the sixth regular general convention held in Birgunj in 2012, had called a special general convention in 2014 and handed over the party leadership to BP Koirala. However, this time, the special general convention is being held amid the obstruction of the president. 

The statute provides for a special general convention to be called if 40 percent of the general convention delegates demand it, but this time 54 percent have signed it. General secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma have taken the lead of the special general convention, relying on the binding provisions of the statute. However, until the last moment, leaders close to President Deuba and in favor of the special general convention have continued to try to make him attend the general convention. However, leaders say that Deuba does not want to hear the word of the special general convention.

When Deuba announced his retirement from active politics by addressing the central working committee meeting on 29 Asoj, a month after the Gen-G rebellion, he received widespread sympathy. Deuba, who had given the responsibility of acting president to party vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka, has been running the party's 'political affairs' himself since returning from Singapore. He is missing another special opportunity by rejecting the leaders' request to make the special general convention a platform for consensus and resolution. 

Even his own allies are leaving him because of his style. Former vice-president Gopalman Shrestha, who supported Deuba by serving as the acting president of the then Nepali Congress Prajatantrik during King Gyanendra Shah's active rule while he was in prison, has now left him. Former Tanahun MP Dhruv Wagle has also distanced himself from Deuba, calling Deuba's recent political activism unnatural.

Wagle, who has worked for Deuba for a long period of his life, has come out in favor of a special general convention. The majority of delegates who elected Deuba as the president in the 14th general convention are now against him. Deuba has not given any solution by pretending not to understand the political demands of the Gen-G movement and the arithmetic within the party, and the possibility of the general convention being held in his absence has increased.

General Secretary Thapa says that the situation has come to a point where the demanders have to call instead of calling the special general convention that the central working committee should have called. 'The president can still intervene and organize a special general convention from the central working committee itself and take it to a place where everyone has ownership,' he told Kantipur, 'then the door will open for understanding. There will be time to do that even when the special general convention is inaugurated.'

Campaign committee coordinator Subash Pokharel said that 57 percent of the general convention delegates had arrived in the capital by Saturday evening. With the presence of the majority of delegates assured, the issue of changing the leadership is also becoming stronger. Former vice-president Shrestha says that Deuba should not go down this path and come to the hall and announce that he has left and given full authority to the acting president. 

All office bearers and members, including President Deuba and Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka, have been invited to attend the special general convention. Despite discussions throughout the day on whether Deuba or Acting President Khadka will be present, no agreement has been reached. The leaders gathered at Deuba's residence had tried to stop representatives from coming from districts on Saturday via phone, and leader Shekhar Koirala is also involved in this.

Under his direction, an order was issued to the state and district presidents close to them to issue a statement on Saturday, asking them not to attend the special general convention. According to leader Gururaj Ghimire, who is in favor of the special general convention, efforts are being made to make President Deuba the chief guest by making him the chief guest.

'If the president does not come, the acting president, if the acting president does not come, then Shekhar Koirala, if he does not come, then the general secretaries and former vice president Shrestha will jointly inaugurate the event,' Ghimire said. General Secretary Sharma, leader Koirala and other second-tier leaders were engaged in discussions throughout the day on Saturday to try to get Deuba to attend. If Deuba himself attends and takes ownership of the special general convention, the party will be prevented from splitting, otherwise, the risk of party division will increase when the special general convention hall selects a new leadership. 

With the majority of representatives present at the general convention, there is also a possibility of selecting a new leadership. There is pressure on General Secretaries Thapa and Sharma to prepare a procedure including an agenda for selecting a new leadership. ‘Now, the power to stop this or not is in the party president’s court,’ says young leader Devraj Chalise. ‘The president should come to the special general convention of the party with a little discretion and be accountable to history.’

But Chalise says that the work of taming ego is still being done. ‘The party has split once in his lifetime, is it trying to wreak havoc again? How can a person like the party president sit around and watch the party in the latter half of his life?,’ says Chalise, ‘I don’t know why the president, who should be the most responsible, is acting irresponsibly at this time.’

Establishment party leader Bimalendra Nidhi says the special general convention is illegal and apolitical. He claimed that 54 percent of the delegates did not sign. He also claims that the special general convention called by the general secretaries is not in accordance with the statute. He said that there is no need to talk now about possible action against those who do not follow the statute. ‘The party will take decisions according to what is needed at the time,’ said Nidhi.

– The party is trying to make the 1, 2, 3 and 4-term model for the positions held by General Secretary Sharma the party’s policy, and in this model, a provision is made that the president cannot serve more than once, the prime minister twice, a minister three times and an MP cannot serve more than four times 

–Proportional MPs cannot be elected more than once, and those who have contested directly and are ministers will not be given this responsibility, which is being sought to be included in the statute.

–A coordination committee will be formed for the operation of government at each level, and such a coordination committee will be coordinated by the party president of the relevant body.

–Active membership will be finalized from the ward without being sent to the center, and general convention representatives will also be made to come from the ward.

–Experts and professionals will be allowed to enter the party directly.

–Add a provision that even the office bearers and members of the central working committee must come through the election of representatives to the general convention. Currently, there is a provision that central office bearers and members will automatically be general convention representatives.

–In the case of district working committees, provincial working committees, and central working committees, convention representatives will also be selected through elections.

– The Central Working Committee should have 20 percent youth and 15 percent professional representation

– Each level of convention should be held at intervals of three to six months, fraternal organizations should be redefined and made autonomous

– Women should be added to all party structures, one Joint General Secretary for youth under 40 years of age and one professional should be added to the central committee, and two Joint General Secretaries should be added to the provincial working committee to have proportional representation

– The size of the Central Working Committee should be increased, and a Central Working Committee of 301 people, including 265 directly elected members, 36 inclusive members, and 301 nominated members to be nominated by the president according to the proportional system, will be formed.

– The powerful body after the general convention, the general committee, will have 2 youth representatives (under 40 years of age) from each constituency (1 woman and 1 man) and 1 professional representative (doctor, engineer, lawyer, nurse, etc.)