KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) central member Prakashman Singh has said leadership of the NC parliamentary party would be elected only after revisions to its statute.

In his address to a programme organised by Nepal Press Union in Sindhuli today, he was quoted in Rastriya Samachar Samiti as saying that a meeting of the parliamentary party scheduled for Saturday would probably amend the statute and then parliamentary party's leadership would be chosen.

The former Deputy Prime Minister Singh who represents the NC in the federal parliament from Kathmandu constituency-1 further claimed that he was competent for becoming the parliamentary leader in the context when no other leader had so far laid claim for the post.

In his personal opinion, party President Sher Bahadur Deuba could not be a new parliamentary leader due to his failure to hold the parliamentary party meeting regularly.

In his response to a query from journalists, he said party general secretary Shashanka Koirala had also expressed his willingness to become the parliamentary leader, but unanimously which seemed not possible.

He took the time to say that if an atmosphere was built not to change the parliamentary leader, he would accept it, otherwise he believed that the leadership should be changed.

Nepali Congress has called a meeting of its Central Working Committee on Sunday to give momentum to the process of electing the parliamentary party leader.

The meeting will approve the amended parliamentary party statute and form an election committee. A meeting of elected Parliament members representing the NC to be held tomorrow will amend the statute and present it to the CWC.

So far, three leaders — NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Shashank Koirala and Prakash Man Singh — are in the fray for the post of PP leader.

There are 76 members representing the NC in the federal Parliament, including both lower and upper houses.