Thapa said, ”As the party president, I am clear that the biggest responsibility in this process lies with me and I will actively engage accordingly.”
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After the Supreme Court recognized Gagan Thapa's faction in the dispute over the legitimacy of the Nepali Congress, President Thapa has called for the party to move forward towards reunifying and strengthening it.
He has interpreted the court's decision as 'not a matter of victory or defeat but a matter of method, process and democratic practice.' He says that this decision has laid the foundation for unification of all parties within the party.
He has urged party members and well-wishers, wherever they are within or outside the country, to play a positive role for the unity and revival of the party. 'As the party president, I am clear that the biggest responsibility in this process lies with me and I will actively engage accordingly,' he wrote on social media.
He also stated that the process of the 15th General Convention has moved forward and said that the General Convention should be used as an opportunity to make it a success and transform and strengthen the party. He stressed that everyone should move forward together to build a party that can address the aspirations of the new generation while respecting the contributions of the elders and contributing to the construction of a prosperous Nepal.
The Supreme Court on Friday granted official recognition to the Thapa faction as the Congress. A bench of Justices Sharanga Subedi and Nripadhwaj Niraula dismissed the writ petition filed by the Sher Bahadur Deuba faction and delivered the verdict. With this verdict, the dispute over the legitimacy of the Congress, which had been going on for three months, has been legally concluded.
The special general convention held in the last week of Poush last year had elected Gagan Thapa as the president. Against this, the Election Commission granted legitimacy to the Thapa faction on the petition of the then president Sher Bahadur Deuba faction, and the Deuba faction had approached the Supreme Court on 4 Magh 2082. Last month, the Thapa faction had made the agenda of the party's regular 15th general convention public. After that, the Deuba faction had filed another petition in the Supreme Court seeking an order not to implement the agenda.
After the term of the working committee elected by the 14th general convention of the Nepali Congress ended last November, a dispute arose in the party over whether to hold the general convention before or after the elections. As the dispute grew, the Thapa faction organized a special general convention.
In the elections held on 21 Falgun, the Nepali Congress candidates contested the proportional representation candidacy under the signature of the then president Deuba and the direct election under the signature of Thapa. After suffering a heavy defeat in the election, Thapa resigned, but the central working committee rejected it. Since then, Thapa has been leading the party, while the Deuba faction has been conducting parallel activities.
After Purna Bahadur Khadka, who was given the responsibility of acting president by Deuba at the time, continued to issue press releases using the party's letterpad in the same capacity, the party's disciplinary committee had given him seven days to explain on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, an informal meeting of leaders from former President Sher Bahadur Deuba's faction is being held today after the Supreme Court's decision to recognize the Central Working Committee that came from the special general convention.
Leader Prakash Sharan Mahat said that the meeting, which will be held at the residence of then acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka at 4 pm, will focus on how to move forward after the court's decision.
Most leaders from Deuba's faction have started standing in favor of party unity after the court's final decision. They have expressed the view that they should accept the Central Working Committee that came from the special general convention and go to the upcoming 15th regular general convention. Leader Mahat said that a mechanism should be formed for party unity and a dialogue should be started to determine a common position. He said that although the court's decision was unexpected, he was in favor of broad party unity.
