NC CWC leaders defend Deuba

It is unfair to hold only the party president responsible for poll loss

Kathmandu, March 29

As buck-passing continues over who is to blame for election debacle in the ongoing Nepali Congress Central Working Committee meeting, leaders close to NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba today said weakening the leadership meant weakening the party, and requested leaders to stop flaying Deuba.

The leaders also opposed the idea that the party should go for early general assembly.

NC leaders, especially the youths and those representing camps led by senior leader Ramchandra Paudel and Krishna Prasad Sitaula, have been saying that Deuba should be held responsible for the humiliating loss in provincial and parliamentary elections at the hands of the left alliance of the CPN-UML and the CPN-Maoist Centre. They have also demanded that the party should go for an early general assembly.

The Deuba camp leaders said the election loss was a collective failure. “Taking to the media without necessary internal consultations has weakened the party,” NC leader Ramesh Rijal told the meeting.

Stating that one poll loss did not mean that the party was finished, Rijal said the party could still garner majority in the next elections if internal unity was maintained.

Another NC leader Gyanendra Bahadur Karki said since decisions related to candidate selection, among others, were taken collectively, it was unfair to only hold the president responsible for the election loss. He also said although the party won less seats, its voter base was still intact. “There’s no need for holding early general assembly,” he said.

NC CWC member Mahendra Yadav criticised leaders for resorting to propaganda which weakened the party organisation.

Stating that late Girija Prasad Koirala was praised for conducting the first constitution assembly election even as the party lost, Yadav said it was unfair to criticise Deuba who successfully held three levels of elections.

Meanwhile, the NC CWC meeting concluded that the recent stock market losses were not a good sign and urged the government to be serious about it.

NC Spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma said the stock losses at a time when the country was headed towards political stability and relatively favourable environment was a matter of concern.