KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress is all set to amend its existing statute to transform the party’s zone-level structure to federal in the coming 13th general convention, keeping in mind the changed country context, with the promulgation of a new constitution. READ ALSO

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It was finally agreed in the party to alter the zone level structure when the issue whether or not to amend the statute has become a heated debate within NC. A meeting of the NC central committee held on Sunday has amended the existing statute provision of electing a central committee member from each zone, shared NC central member Gagan Thapa. The zone-level structure has been transformed into federal ones and electing two central members from each province will be provisioned in the statute, Thapa further informed. However, the general convention members from across the country will vote for the central committee members to be elected from the provinces, shared another central committee member Rajan Prasad Pant. Though the agenda of electing one woman central committee member from each province was informally discussed, it was not made a formal agenda with less attention on the amendment to other provisions. With the statute amendment made on Sunday, the total number and size of central committee members would not see any difference. The NC central committee member is of 85-member. Today’s meeting also decided to finalize the issues of restructuring party organization and expanding the size of office-bearers through the meeting of party’s general council. Earlier, a 10-member party statute amendment committee was formed under the convenorship of NC organization department chief Ananda Prasad Dhungana to amend the party statute in consistent with the provincial structure specified by the new constitution of the country. The committee’s report to this effect was prepared but not presented in the central committee with possible disagreement from another side led by party senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba. The Dhungana-led committee report had recommended to make a 97-member central committee with a president, one senior vice-president, nomination of two vice-presidents including one woman, two general secretaries (one nominated), one treasurer (nominated) and joint general secretaries as per the need. Today’s central committee meeting chaired by acting President Ram Chandra Poudel has endorsed the party policy and programme prepared for the 13th general convention with slight amendments. Likewise, the meeting also held discussion on the general secretary’s report to be presented in the general convention. The meeting also had serious discussion on the preparatory part of the general convention, informed leaders.