Congress Internal Dispute: Gagan Thapa's Stance on Membership and Central Committee Adjustment Sparks Controversy

Kathmandu. Within a span of three days, two different issues have emerged from two factions within the Nepali Congress. On Monday, June 22, party President Gagan Thapa publicly stated that he could not accept the adjustment of 111 central committee members from the 14th General Convention into the current committee and the non-renewal of active membership.

Addressing the convention of the party's Public Relations Committee Japan virtually, President Thapa said, 'What the constitution does not provide, I cannot do even if I want to. Firstly, proceeding without updating the active membership of the Nepali Congress is a violation of the provisions in the Nepali Congress constitution. It is also impractical and unpolitical.'

The President stated this while indicating that he could not address the demands of the other factions, namely the former President Sher Bahadur Deuba group and Dr. Shekhar Koirala's group. He further added, 'A new central committee has been formed through a special general convention. This is everyone's central committee. As per the authority given to the President, I will ensure the participation of as many colleagues as possible, but it is also wrong to suggest that the remaining 100-odd members of the previous central committee should be brought and merged into this one.'

President Thapa reiterated that the provision in the constitution regarding the inability to participate in the general convention without updating active membership could not be altered.

Also Read

Making 111 people central members and not renewing their membership is unacceptable: Gagan Thapa

Meanwhile, leaders from the other factions argue that their two conditions must be met to ensure a fair and impartial general convention. The other factions claim that by not fulfilling these demands, the group that formed the establishment through a special general convention does not wish to keep the party united. At the conclusion of the Deuba group's meeting held in Chundevi, Kathmandu, from last Monday to Wednesday, former acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka stated that although President Thapa and Vice President Bishwaprakash Sharma should have taken initiative for consensus, they are far from initiating such consensus.

'Those who should unite are very far apart,' Khadka said at the conclusion of the meeting. 'The party will not split because of us. If the President wishes, the party will split.'

Also Read

Deuba group to be flexible to maintain unity in party

These statements from the leaders of the two factions suggest that the Congress is drifting apart from unity. However, General Secretary Gururaj Ghimire states that although it may appear outwardly that unity will not happen, it is not the case internally, and efforts are being made for consensus.

'Discussions regarding resolving the party's internal disputes have progressed significantly. It's just that they haven't taken shape yet,' General Secretary Ghimire told Ratopati. 'Discussions are moving forward at both personal and institutional levels. Proposals have also been exchanged from both sides. While the complexity appears high from the outside, looking at the internal dimensions, it doesn't seem that complicated.'

Ghimire stated that the party will remain united as leaders from the establishment and the other factions desire to move forward together. 'All colleagues in the party are of the opinion that we must move forward united. Respecting the sentiments of our colleagues, we will adopt maximum flexibility possible, and the leaders of the establishment's opposition will also not stick to their own demands but will explore possibilities for consensus and move forward,' said General Secretary Ghimire.

Ghimire mentioned that since the constitution does not allow for the merging of the committee formed from the 14th General Convention into the committee formed from the special general convention due to a lack of agreement, there has been talk of moving forward by forming a political mechanism through consensus.

'A political mechanism is being discussed to ensure the successful and undisputed completion of the general convention. There is talk of forming a political mechanism under the leadership of the President,' Ghimire said. He added that this proposal came from the leaders of the other factions.

Meanwhile, the Deuba group, which has opened a contact office in Chundevi and claims the establishment does not want to keep the party united, also appears to desire unity as much as possible. The Deuba group, which convened a meeting to call for a national gathering, did not make a decision regarding the gathering.

Min Bishwakarma, a leader of the group, stated that they are ready to accept Gagan Thapa, who was elected President in the special general convention, as President, but it is up to President Thapa whether he wants to be the president of a united party or only of the leaders and cadres included in the special general convention. 'We are ready to accept Gagan Thapa as President,' Bishwakarma told Ratopati. 'Whether he wants to be the president of all leaders and cadres within the party or only of the leaders and cadres who participated in the special general convention depends on his initiative.'

The other factions state that while they are willing to accept President Thapa for unity, they can be flexible on other demands if the impartiality of the 15th General Convention is ensured.

The other factions have stated that there will be no problem in moving forward with unity if the establishment maintains its majority in committees related to the convention's potential impact, such as the disciplinary committee, active membership distribution committee, and organizing committee, includes the other factions, and decisions are made by consensus.

Meanwhile, the establishment has also decided that President Thapa himself will conduct decisive negotiations and make a final effort for party unity, as per the demands of the other factions. An informal meeting of the office bearers held on Wednesday reached this conclusion.

'The office bearers' meeting decided to seek a way out through dialogue. We have decided to move forward by listening to the demands, addressing the colleagues' demands, and ensuring unity in the preparation for the 15th General Convention, within the framework of the constitution and to the maximum extent possible,' said General Secretary Ghimire.

Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, another leader from the Deuba group, stated that there is no issue from their side regarding not uniting. 'There is no issue from our side about not uniting. We are always ready,' Dr. Mahat told Ratopati. 'However, the leadership should take the initiative for unity. There hasn't been much initiative from the leadership. If there is, we are ready to talk and resolve it, but we cannot wait for too long for consensus.'

Leaders from the other factions, Khadka and Dr. Shekhar Koirala, had made a point-by-point proposal for consensus to save the party's unity. They stated that President Thapa should 'respond' to this point-by-point proposal and resolve it through talks and discussions.

On the other hand, Dr. Koirala had presented a 5-point middle-ground proposal to save the party's unity through discussions within a week. The deadline for this proposal is expiring on Friday.

Some leaders from the other factions appear to be in favor of parting ways, accusing President Thapa of stringing them along. Leaders such as former Vice President Bimalendra Nidhi, former General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula, leader Mohan Bahadur Basnet, Sudurpashchim Province President Bir Bahadur Balayar, and Kanchharam Tamang have stated that there is no compulsion to remain in Congress by compromising. They expressed similar sentiments during the group's meeting.