Nepali Congress Bagmati Province Gathering Demands Full Central Committee Meeting, Criticizes Government

Kathmandu. The Bagmati Province-level gathering of the Nepali Congress's former president Sher Bahadur Deuba faction has demanded the immediate convening of a full Central Committee meeting for the party's broader unity and rejuvenation.

The gathering concluded that the current government is heading towards authoritarianism and has warned the leadership to immediately stop arbitrary decisions, actions, and unilateral nominations made within the party.

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See photos of Deuba's Bagmati Province-level gathering

The gathering wished for the speedy recovery of the Nepali Congress's former president Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is undergoing treatment abroad. It expressed serious concern over the persecution of established personalities from various fields and party leadership without adequate legal procedures and emphasized the need to strengthen the rule of law.

The main demand of the gathering is to convene a full Central Committee meeting soon to resolve the internal crisis within the party and determine its future political direction. Emphasis was placed on forming a consensus-based mechanism with the participation of all sides to ensure the upcoming 15th General Convention is conducted transparently, impartially, and acceptably to all.

The gathering drew attention to the questions raised regarding the change in the National Assembly's party leader, urging the party leadership to transparently clarify the reasons, process, and justification for the decision. The gathering pointed out that decisions motivated by a spirit of revenge can create problems in party unity and cooperation. It demanded an end to the practice of keeping sister and well-wisher organizations in a state of ad-hocism and dissolution, and to elect leadership through regular conventions.

The gathering determined that a candid and impartial review of the Nepali Congress's defeat in the recently held House of Representatives elections is necessary. Concluding that the party's special convention held just before the elections, which created a divided mindset, was the main reason for the defeat, the gathering stated, "We are seriously concerned about the disciplinary action being taken against workers in various districts in the name of not cooperating in the elections, ignoring this reality. Disciplinary action must stop immediately."

The leadership has been cautioned against re-contesting already settled memberships in the name of updating party memberships. A warning was issued against attempting to amend the constitution arbitrarily, bypassing the established procedure for constitutional amendment.

The gathering concluded that the nominations made to the central committee in the name of representation, without consulting various ideological groups within the party, have spoiled the atmosphere for broader unity. It urged the leadership to immediately stop such activities and proceed on the basis of dialogue, consensus, and cooperation.

In the statement of the gathering's perspective and conclusions released on Wednesday, the historical role played by the party from the Rana regime to the institutional development of the federal democratic system was recalled. However, the gathering concluded that after the events of August 23-24, a deep crisis of ideological clarity, organizational activity, internal democracy, organizational direction, and trust between leadership and cadres has emerged.

The Nepali Congress stated that the current government's activities are going against parliamentary traditions. The gathering strongly criticized the government for abruptly adjourning the already convened parliament, interfering with legislative authority by recommending ordinances for lawmaking, attempting to control the judiciary, and attacking the spirit of a free press by banning advertisements to private media outlets.

The gathering concluded that activities aimed at intimidating political parties, constitutional bodies, parliament, judiciary, employees, security agencies, human rights commissions, and even the private sector in the name of a property investigation commission are signs that the government is heading towards authoritarianism and autocracy. It demanded that the government immediately stop the practice of bulldozing land belonging to squatters and landless citizens without proper management and solve their problems by formulating a clear policy.

Perspective and Conclusions of the Bagmati Province Level Gathering for the Broader Unity and Rejuvenation of the Nepali Congress

Background

The Nepali Congress is a party that has played a historic role in Nepal's democratic movement, in establishing and protecting national identity, civil liberties, social justice, and constitutional governance. From the struggle against the Rana regime to the establishment and restoration of democracy, the formation of the constitution, and the institutional development of the federal democratic system, the Nepali Congress has played a leading role.

The fundamental political bases of the Nepali Congress are the rights of the people, the rule of law, press freedom, human rights, inclusivity, and a pluralistic democratic society based on equality. Based on these values and beliefs, the party has been addressing the country's political direction, democratic stability, and the aspirations of the people.

It is felt that after the events of August 23-24, a crisis of ideological clarity, organizational activity, internal democracy, organizational direction, and deep trust between leadership and cadres has emerged within the party. Serious debate and institutional discussion on broader unity, organizational rejuvenation, and future political direction have become the primary needs of the present.

Given the less-than-favorable results in the general elections and the lack of participation from a majority of representatives in the special convention, it is imperative to make the Nepali Congress more robust, united, timely, and aligned with public expectations by resolving the ideological, organizational, and leadership issues seen within the party through open, democratic, transparent, and institutional discussions. For this, it is necessary to convene a full Central Committee meeting and build a common perspective on the party's future direction, organizational status, and future political course.

It is felt that the current government's activities are moving against parliamentary traditions. Interfering with legislative authority by abruptly adjourning the convened parliament and recommending ordinances, attempting to control the judiciary by disregarding judicial traditions, attacking the spirit of a free press by banning advertisements to private media, disregarding minimum parliamentary decorum and traditions in parliament, and intimidating political parties, constitutional bodies, parliament, judiciary, employees, security agencies, human rights commissions, and all public servants and the private sector in the name of a property investigation commission are signs that the government is heading towards authoritarianism and autocracy. The practice of bulldozing land belonging to squatters and landless citizens without proper management indicates the current government's authoritarian tendencies. The Nepali Congress must clearly stand against the state's authoritarian tendencies and raise its voice in favor of civil rights, social justice, and human sensitivity. Complete unity within the party is also essential to fight against the government's anti-democratic system, rule of law, and anti-people activities.

Conclusion

1. Expressing serious concern over the signs of the current government's activities leaning towards authoritarianism, it is imperative for the government to immediately halt the bulldozing of land belonging to squatters and landless citizens without proper, just, humane, and long-term management, and to solve their problems based on clear policies, plans, and effective implementation.

2. We wish for the speedy recovery of the former president of the Nepali Congress, Mr. Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is undergoing treatment abroad. We are seriously concerned about the vindictive actions taken against established personalities from various fields and established party leadership without adequate legal procedures. We are firm in our belief that the sanctity of the rule of law, transparency, and the rule of law must be strengthened.

3. It is necessary to convene a full Central Committee meeting soon to hold serious discussions on the broader unity of the Nepali Congress party, organizational rejuvenation, amendment of the constitution, internal democracy, and future political direction.

4. It is imperative to form a consensus-based mechanism ensuring the respectable participation of all sides to conduct the 15th General Convention of the Nepali Congress transparently, impartially, independently, and acceptably to all.

5. Keeping in mind the questions raised regarding the change in the National Assembly's party leader, we draw the attention of the party leadership to transparently clarify the reasons, process, and justification for the decision. Emphasizing that any decision within the party must be based on institutional processes, transparency, political necessity, and collective interest, we seriously draw the attention of the party leadership to avoid tendencies that can create problems in the party's broader unity, mutual trust, and cooperation, as decisions motivated by a spirit of revenge can do so.

6. It is necessary to end the practice of keeping the party's sister and well-wisher organizations in a state of ad-hocism and dissolving working committees, and to elect legitimate leadership through democratic processes in regular conventions, thereby making the organizational life dynamic, democratic, and effective.

7. A candid and impartial review of the Nepali Congress's defeat in the recently held House of Representatives elections is needed. The main reason for the electoral defeat was the creation of a divided mindset by holding a special convention of the party just before the elections. However, we are seriously concerned about the disciplinary action being taken against workers in various districts in the name of not cooperating in the elections, ignoring this reality. Disciplinary action must stop immediately for the sake of the party's broader unity and interests.

8. It is our conclusion that re-contesting already settled memberships in the name of updating party memberships cannot be in the party's interest.

9. There is an established procedure for amending the constitution in the party. Arbitrary amendment of the constitution is never acceptable. There are various ideological groups in the party. Nominations to the central committee in the name of representation without consulting group consultations have spoiled the atmosphere for the party's broader unity. We believe that it is the need of the hour to immediately stop such activities and maintain the party's broader unity on the basis of dialogue, consensus, and cooperation.

Jai Nepal!