Nepali Congress Convention Extended Amid Leadership Crisis and Reform Push

In the closed-door session, the reports presented by the party's general secretaries, Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, are still under discussion, necessitating an extension of the meeting.

As per the special convention secretariat, the process of selecting new leadership will also begin on Tuesday, once deliberations conclude. The special convention, called by the two general secretaries, has been underway in Kathmandu since Sunday.

With the special convention moving ahead to elect new leadership, party president and former Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has also begun consultations over the legal and constitutional crisis.

The general secretary duo has claimed that more than 60 per cent of the convention representatives have signed against Deuba. A Central Working Committee meeting has been called for Tuesday, late morning at the party office.

Monday's closed-door session also endorsed some statutes, which allow the general secretaries to propose dissolution of the existing central working committee and formation of a new one until the next regular general convention.

Supporters of the special convention argue that the term of the committee elected by the 14th general convention has expired, making an immediate leadership change necessary ahead of the upcoming elections.

In Monday's closed-door session, General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma presented a political document closely examining youth-centred discontent and the Gen Z movement, concluding that public anger is not the result of external forces or sudden events but a product of political, economic, social and governance failures.

It acknowledges that Congress failed to recognise and address citizens' dissatisfaction in time and stresses the need to learn from that failure.

Sharma argued that the Congress must undergo renewal and redefinition. While retaining its name, flag and election symbol, he called for a change in thinking, working style and political culture. The dossier underlined that meaningful transformation is unavoidable, stating that old habits cannot build a new future.

It linked declining public trust to frequent changes of government, policy instability, corruption, administrative hurdles and economic slowdown in recent years.

Weaknesses in education, health, employment, agriculture and the implementation of federalism were listed, with the report concluding that progress is impossible without good governance.

The report also admitted that although Congress-led governments built laws and institutions, implementation remained weak.

It proposed a merit-based, transparent and competitive appointment system and called for an end to political quota-sharing in constitutional bodies, regulatory agencies and diplomatic postings.

Recalling the party's historic role in establishing democracy, republicanism and federalism, the report said the responsibility to strengthen these achievements in the current context rests with the Congress itself.

It concluded that the party must pursue a balanced path that protects past gains while addressing present-day public discontent.

Sharma, in his report presented at the ongoing special general convention, has proposed major changes to improve representation within the party's structure.

He suggested ensuring representation of members under 40 years in the central working committee, with 20 members under 30 and 20 members aged 30-40, making a total of 40 representatives.

The report also proposed that provincial working committees include 10 members from each age group, while district, federal constituency, provincial assembly constituency, and municipal committees have at least six members from each group.

Ward committees are to have a minimum of four members from each age group.

Acknowledging inclusivity, the report stated that each electoral constituency should send four representatives to the central and provincial conventions, including at least two women and at least one member under 30 years.

- ANI