Nepali Congress Faction Announces National Gathering

Kathmandu. The establishment-leaning faction (former President Sher Bahadur Deuba and leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala) within the Nepali Congress has announced a national gathering starting from Shrawan 29 to chart a new course, breaking away from the party's current state.

The date of the gathering was announced on Shrawan 6 during a program organized at Pragya Pratishthan on the occasion of the 44th memorial day of the party's founder Bishweshwor Prasad Koirala (BP). The group has stated that preparations for the gathering will begin from Friday.

A meeting of the group has been called for Friday to decide how to prepare for the gathering, what agenda to present, how many representatives to select, and the criteria for their selection.

The group's publicity coordinator, Min Bishwakarma, claimed that the gathering would revitalize the party ideologically and organizationally, and informed that preparations would start from Friday. He stated that a group meeting has been called for Friday to discuss the preparations for the gathering, distribute responsibilities, and review the program held on BP's memorial day on Wednesday.

'We will hold a meeting at the contact office in Chunadevi on Friday. The meeting will review the BP memorial day program,' Bishwakarma told Ratopati. 'We will make decisions on the preparations for the national gathering, distribution of responsibilities, and how to select representatives.'

Leader Bishwakarma said that the national gathering, which begins on Shrawan 29, could last for 2 to 3 days depending on the number of participants and the depth of discussions. 'The gathering will start on Shrawan 29. If necessary, the gathering can continue until the 30th and 31st,' he said. 'We aim to provide a clear and new direction for the party through this gathering.'

It has been informed that serious ideological discussions will be held at the gathering and various reports will be presented. According to Bishwakarma, the group is preparing to present a political proposal on the party's current political line and future direction, a contemporary proposal on the country's current political developments and Congress's role, policy proposals on the economic, social, and political policies the party should adopt, and an organizational and statutory proposal on how to make the party's structure and constitution effective. Leader Bishwakarma said that the meeting on Friday will decide who will prepare these reports.

The group has already held gatherings in all seven provinces to understand the sentiments of the leaders and cadres.

Leader Bishwakarma said that the criteria for participation in the national gathering are yet to be determined. 'This is not a program like a general convention with only elected representatives; this is a gathering. Therefore, the number of participants might be quite large,' Bishwakarma said. 'The criteria for that are yet to be decided. We will gradually carry out the preparatory work.'

Bishwakarma said that after the participation criteria are set, central representatives will be sent to the districts accordingly to invite and mobilize party cadres and leaders.

It has been confirmed that the gathering will be held in Kathmandu. Bishwakarma said that due to the large number of leaders and cadres expected to participate and the rainy season, searches are underway for large 'indoor' halls in Kathmandu. 'We might also go for a workshop model, so the final decision on the venue will be made by tomorrow's meeting after deciding what kind of hall is needed and how many people it should accommodate,' he said.

Leader Bishwakarma said that the meeting on Friday will make concrete decisions regarding further management of the gathering, distribution of responsibilities for document writing, and scheduling.

The dispute that began in the Congress after Gagan Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma, without the consent of the then central committee, held a special general convention and elected a new leadership in the last week of Poush, has not yet subsided. After repeated attempts to maintain unity in the party failed, the Deuba group, which was outside the party's establishment after the special general convention, and leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala's group have called for a national gathering.

Leaders also say that if unity in the party is not achieved by the time of the gathering, a new party might emerge from this gathering. On Wednesday, at the program organized on BP's memorial day, former acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka, leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala, and others stated that if President Gagan Thapa does not make efforts for immediate agreement, a new path will be taken, and President Thapa himself will have to take responsibility for the resulting situation.