Kathmandu, August 9

Closed session of the 11th general convention of Nepal Student Union could not begin today as well due to the disputes regarding selection of convention representatives.

The closed session was originally scheduled to be held yesterday. Issuing a statement yesterday, NSU had said that the closed session would begin from 2:00 pm today.

UP Lamichhane, spokesperson, NSU, said the closed session could not begin today as disputes over the selection of convention representatives were yet to be resolved. “Central Committee members of the Nepali Congress the mother party of student union have been trying their best to resolve the disputes since yesterday,” he said.

Lamichanne also said the closed session would begin from tomorrow if the disputes get resolved tonight. NSU had asked convention representatives to collect their identity cards from the NC party office at Sanepa this morning. However, the cards were not distributed.

“Until and unless the disputes are resolved, representatives will not get their cards,” he informed.

NSU has not been able to finalise representatives from 11 districts owing to the disputes.

NSU convention has not been held since the unification between the establishment and the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led factions of the party. Both factions want their majority in the student wing and NSU cadres backed by their leaders have been obstructing the national convention.

NSU convention has not been held since 2007.

Earlier, the Nepali Congress’ first meeting on March 18 after Sher Bahadur Deuba took charge of the party had directed all its sister wings to hold their general conventions within six months. Therefore, NSU was under pressure to hold the convention despite disputes.

After some NSU cadres launched a fast-unto-death demanding “lawful” convention, NC President Deuba had formed a five-member panel with party’s Central Working Committee member Prakash Sharan Mahat as coordinator and CWC members Kishor Singh Rathaur, Govinda Bhattarai, Guru Raj Ghimire, and Pradeep Paudel as members to help resolve the disputes and hold the student wing’s convention.