The Nepali Congress has proposed to hold the party's 15th regular general convention from August 24 to 27. At a time when leaders loyal to former President Sher Bahadur Deuba are saying that they will not participate in the process until the court decides on the writ petition against the legality of the special general convention, the Congress Central Working Committee's meeting on Tuesday brought the schedule for the general convention. 

President Gagan Thapa proposed the 15th general convention and its schedule in the Central Working Committee meeting. According to the proposal, the village and city wards' convention will begin on August 6 and the central general convention will be inaugurated on August 24. Along with the schedule for the general convention, President Thapa has proposed 11 different agendas, including the formation of a committee with experts to study and make suggestions on constitutional amendments, the formation of an election committee, and orientation of members of the House of Representatives elected by the party. Spokesperson Devraj Chalise said that all of President Thapa's proposals will be approved by the meeting on Wednesday. 

After the resignation was rejected, Thapa, who chaired Tuesday's meeting, announced that a new political chapter had begun within the party and said that the upcoming Arjun Drishti General Convention would be held. Taking moral responsibility for the defeat of the party and himself in the election, Thapa had submitted his resignation to Vice President Bishwaprakash Sharma last Wednesday. However, his resignation was rejected by the Central Working Committee on Sunday. 

After the chapter on the resignation issue was over, Thapa, who made his first public statement at the party meeting, declared that the vehicle he was driving as the 'driver' of the Congress would not stop. Thapa, who had been silent for 20 days after the election, has made his first public statement on the upcoming general convention, the post-election political review, his resignation and inter-party disputes after returning to the role of party president. He has also urged the party to make the controversy of the special general convention a thing of the past and move towards the regular general convention in a united manner.

President Thapa also clarified that he did not resign in haste or desperation. "I did not decide to resign out of confusion, even for a moment, about whether a special general convention was a weakness. My expectation was that it should be accepted and taken to the convention. The Central Working Committee made a different decision," Thapa said. "I performed my duty. I performed what the Central Working Committee thought was my duty. I do not see the need to repeat it now."

Thapa said that if the party had gone to the election without holding a special general convention, it would have been in an even more difficult situation. "The 18 people who were elected understand very well how they should have faced that election if we had gone to the election on 21 Falgun without holding a special general convention. The 147 candidates who were not elected, who contested, also understand very well," Thapa said. "The leaders who did not come to seek votes for the Nepali Congress in the election did not go to vote. They cannot speculate about it." 

Madhesh Province Working Committee President Krishna Yadav, Bagmati Province President Indra Baniya and Koshi Province President Uddhav Thapa, who were in Deuba's favor before the election, have also started participating in the Central Working Committee meeting. They have left the old establishment and joined the new Central Working Committee. Gandaki Province President Shukraraj Sharma and Lumbini Province President Amar Singh Pun were the campaigners of the special general convention. Only Sudurpaschim Province President Bir Bahadur Balayar and Karnali Province President Lalit Jung Shahi are absent from the meeting. Both of them are in Deuba's favor. 

However, the then acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka, who led the Deuba faction, concluded in a meeting held at his residence last Saturday that a parallel meeting would be called and that the general convention process would not be involved until the court's verdict was delivered. Another leader, Koirala, also expressed support for it. In addition, pressure to unite for party unity is also increasing within the Deuba faction. Most of the leaders who contested the election are emphasizing the need to stand in favor of unity and not engage in parallel activities.

Some leaders who did not contest the election, including the then acting president Khadka, leaders Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Prakash Man Singh, are adamant that they will not participate in the process of the general convention that was announced 'unilaterally' until the court's verdict comes out. They have a 'condition' that they can agree if the central working committee that emerged from the special general convention for unity is dissolved and converted into a general convention organizing committee. However, President Thapa's team has flatly rejected this.

'No matter whose favor the decision was, if it was made sooner, the way for consensus would have been opened,' says Sitaula, 'There is a tradition of things like the general convention's agenda, decision on active membership, election committee, etc. being done on the basis of consensus. I do not see any consensus on these issues until the court's verdict comes out.' 

Shyam Ghimire, a leader from the Deuba faction, argues that parallel activities should not be carried out within the party. He said that confusion arose due to the delay in the court's decision. 'It would have been easier to provide a way out for consensus if the decision had been given soon. It was also the constitutional duty of the court to do so. However, I am not in favor of stopping the general convention for a long time just because the court's decision has not been made,' he said. 'The delay in the court's decision is due to Gagan Thapa, the president who was authorized by the Election Commission. You cannot say that he is not the president.'

He said that Thapa has the responsibility to bring everyone together as the president. 'As the establishment party, Gaganji should take the initiative for party unity,' he added. 'Sher Bahadur Deuba and leader Shekhar Koirala's friends should also now not engage in parallel activities and stand in favor of unity.'

Chairman Thapa said Deuba and Shekhar Koirala have proposed to include the 33 central working committee members who can be nominated for unity. For that, Thapa and Vice Chairman Bishwaprakash Sharma will informally start dialogue with leaders of both parties from Wednesday, Thapa said.

‘Now the matter of who participated in the special convention and who did not is over. I am driving the vehicle as the chairman. The vehicle moved forward. This vehicle will not stop now. There will be no prejudice in the vehicle based on who was and was not in the special convention,’ Chairman Thapa said, ‘We will also dialogue (with the Deuba faction). We will also discuss. We want to take any friend to the convention without prejudice.’ 

Congratulations to the RSVP leadership 

Chairman Thapa congratulated the RSVP and Chairman Ravi Lamichhane for forming the government with a strong majority in the election. He said that a new chapter has begun in terms of good governance, development and service delivery from 082 to 087.

‘Its speed should be three or four times faster. It should be fast but there should be no accidents. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has been given the responsibility of running the government. It has been given the responsibility of taking it fast. The Congress has full support in this,’ he said, ‘Whenever we feel that the speed should be increased, we put pressure as the opposition. Where there is difficulty, there is encouragement, questions and support.’

He said that in the past, there should be an investigation into the money burned in the houses of leaders during the Gen-G movement, including Widebody, Yeti Holdings, Lalita Niwas, which were linked to misuse of power. ‘These scandals should no longer be a matter of public consumption and accusations, they should be like milk and water,’ he said, ‘The party does not bear the burden of the scandals committed by certain leaders, wherever wrongdoing has occurred. They should be investigated and made to participate in punishment.’ 

He raised the issue that the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority should investigate the issue of policy-level corruption in an impartial manner without prejudice. ‘For this, we will fully support institutional strengthening, but we will take a step forward, but we will not retreat,’ he said. Thapa also demanded that a fair and truth-seeking report be made public on the extreme repression by the state power on Bhadra 23 and the demolition on Bhadra 24. Thapa has also demanded that the culprits of the incidents pointed out by the Karki Commission be brought to justice in an impartial manner. 

Proposed Congress 15th General Convention schedule 

– Distribution and updating of active membership from 21 Chaitra to 15 Jestha  

– The membership should be sent to the membership center by mid-Jestha 

– The investigation of the dispute should be completed by 15 Ashad and submitted to the Central Election Committee by mid-Ashad 

– Nepali Public Relations Committee convention in mid-Shrawan  

– Village-town and ward convention on 6th Shrawan  

– Village-town and ward convention on 12th Shrawan  

– Provincial Assembly regional convention on 23rd Shrawan  

– Regional convention of the House of Representatives on 30th Shrawan, district convention of the district with a single constituency