Crisis deepens in Nepali Congress as 15th general convention nears

The Nepali Congress is grappling with unresolved political and legal disputes just as its 15th General Convention draws near. The party has scheduled ward-level conventions for September 9, but a significant faction is demanding that all convention activities be halted until the Supreme Court delivers a final verdict on the party's official status. This faction argues that proceeding with the convention is contrary to the need for party unity and the court's decision to review an earlier ruling.

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The decision recently taken by the Central Working Committee formed through the special general convention to move ahead with the 15th General Convention is clearly against both the historic need for complete party unity and the Supreme Court’s order to review the case.

Purna Bahadur Khadka, a former vice-president, stated that the Central Working Committee's decision to move forward with the convention was against both party unity and the Supreme Court's order to review the case. Min Bishwakarma, coordinator of the publicity committee for the opposing faction, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that unilateral advancement of the process is inappropriate while a case is pending in court. His faction plans to file an application with the court regarding the matter.

Despite reported efforts to resolve the dispute through dialogue, substantive communication between the leadership that emerged from the special general convention and the former leadership has been minimal. President Gagan Kumar Thapa claims he sought time for dialogue but was not granted it. Meanwhile, former president Sher Bahadur Deuba appears to be waiting for the court's final decision before engaging in discussions. Nain Singh Mahar, who has taken on a mediating role, wrote on Facebook that Deuba indicated he was making efforts to resolve the issue and suggested moving forward after the court's decision.

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When a case is pending in court, one side cannot naturally move the matter forward unilaterally.

The establishment faction hopes that former president Deuba will play a coordinating role in resolving the dispute. General Secretary Pradip Paudel expressed optimism that efforts to engage Deuba in dialogue would be successful and that he would assist with coordination.

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I also pointed out the need for a meeting and dialogue between President Gagan Kumar Thapa and him. He said he was making efforts to resolve the issue and suggested that we move forward after the court’s decision.