Kathmandu, February 28

Nepali Congress has dropped the idea of increasing the number of office bearers.

The party will continue to have one president, one vice-president, two general secretaries, one joint general secretary and one treasurer after the 13th National General Convention to be held from March 3-6 here.

The establishment side, led by Ramchandra Paudel, was preparing to table a proposal of increasing the office bearers at today’s Central Working Committee meeting.

But it could not do, as rival faction, led by senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, and two prominent leaders from the establishment side, Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Prakash Man Singh, opposed it.

Today’s CWC meeting was called for 1:00pm but it began at 3:30pm, as the top leaders of the party engaged in informal parleys at the party headquarters in Sanepa to forge consensus on the issue.

After Deuba, Singh and Sitaula opposed the idea, the leaders failed to forge consensus on it. Consequently, the proposal was not introduced at the CWC meeting.

After the Deuba faction threatened to oppose the proposal to increase of office bearers at today’s CWC meeting and take the agenda to the NGC, Paudel agreed to drop the idea to prevent the situation from worsening on the verge of NGC.

“We have dropped the idea of increasing the number of office bearers due to disagreements among the leaders but we have amicably settled the issue,” said party spokesperson Dilendra Prasad Badu.

Paudel and his team wanted to increase the office bearers so that the establishment side could maintain its unity intact.

Today’s CWC meeting decided only to change some of the provisions of the party statute to bring two CWC members from each of the seven provinces by scrapping the current provision of zonal representation, said Badu.

Deuba faction’s leader Prakash Sharan Mahat said the faction was likely to announce the panel of office bearers contesting in the NGC tomorrow or day after tomorrow.

Badu, who is close to the establishment, said tough negotiations were going on for the candidacy for party president from the establishment side. “Establishment side’s candidates will be clearer by tomorrow evening,” said Badu.

Acting president Ramchandra Paudel, general secretaries Prakash Man Singh and Krishna Prasad Sitaula and CWC member Sujata Koirala are keen to contest for the party president.

Deuba faction is preparing to field Arjun Narsingh KC while Sitaula is preparing to field KC’s son-in-law Gagan Thapa for general secretary.

However, whether KC and Thapa will contest against each other for the same post is not clear.

“Sitaula is unlikely to back off from contesting for party president. Singh, Sujata and Shashanka may, however, support Paudel’s team after further negotiations,” said a leader who is taking part in the negotiations.

After today’s development, Paudel and Sitaula from the establishment side and Deuba from the rival faction are likely to contest for the party presidency.

Meanwhile, some leaders of establishment side, including Paudel, Singh, Ram Sharan Mahat, Dilendra Prasad Badu, Krishna Chandra Nepali, Parashu Narayan Chaudhari and Dipak Giri dwelt on possible alternatives to forge unity in the side during a meeting held at the residence of Shashanka Koirala.

Sitaula, Shashanka Koirala and Sujata Koirala, however, were not present at the meeting.