• Different factions differ on when to hold Maha Samiti meeting

Kathmandu, August 23 The main opposition party has formed the much-awaited statute drafting committee, paving the way for the Nepali Congress Maha Samiti meeting. The committee will draft amendments to the party statute for the restructuring of the party organisation in line with the new federal set-up of the country and propose revisions at the party’s central working committee. The CWC will then table amendments at the Maha Samiti. The party has identified failure to restructure the party organisation in line with the new federal set-up and electoral constituency delineation as the main reason for its defeat in last year’s elections. Moreover, organisational restructuring is also required to hold the party’s next General Convention. As per the statute provision, the General Convention is held every four years, and the next jamboree is around 18 months away. The 11-member statute drafting committee is led by the party’s General Secretary Purna Bahadur Khadka. Other members of the panel are Minendra Rijal, Farmullah Mansoor, Man Bahadur Bishwakarma, Dilendra Prasad Badu, Mahalaxmi Upadhyay ‘Dina’, Ananda Prasad Dhungana, Nabindra Raj Joshi, Sita Gurung, Pradip Paudel and Ramesh Lekhak. Paudel said the panel, which was set to meet tomorrow morning, would collect suggestions from all Maha Samiti members, sister and well-wisher organisations and other stakeholders concerned from across the country before making any recommendations. “How extensive will the preparations be, however, depends on when the Maha Samiti is organised,” he said. The CWC has already decided to hold the Maha Samiti in mid-September and the party is holding a CWC meet tomorrow to prepare for the gathering. NC Spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma said tomorrow’s CWC meeting would also form the disciplinary committee and try to forge consensus on forming the central work execution committee. “Depending on the outcome of tomorrow’s statute drafting committee meeting, which will decide how much time is needed for preparation, the CWC will finalise the date and venue of the Maha Samiti by the afternoon,” he said. However, some leaders representing the establishment faction led by party President Sher Bahadur Deuba have been saying it is not possible to hold the Maha Samiti on the stipulated date because of lack of preparation time. In an exclusive interview with THT published on Monday, NC Vice-president Bimalendra Nidhi had also said the Maha Samiti was unlikely to be held in mid-September and would be postponed by a month. On the other hand, leaders representing the rival factions led by Ramchandra Paudel and Krishna Prasad Sitaula have been pressuring Deuba and the party establishment to hold the gathering on the agreed date.