Kathmandu, January 13

Nepal Student Union, a sister organisation of the Nepali Congress, stares at dissolution of its Central Working Committee as it is unlikely to hold general convention before its extended tenure expires on Wednesday.

Factionalism in the mother party has spilled into the student wing, resulting in the delay in holding its general convention. Student leaders have also been divided into three camps led by NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, senior leader Ramchandra Paudel and Krishna Prasad Sitaula.

The NC had on November 18 extended the tenure of the NSU CWC by two months on the basis of majority despite strong objections from rival factions led by senior leader Paudel and Sitaula. While the Sitaula camp had sought a six-month (total nine months) extension to the NSU CWC’s tenure, the Paudel camp had sought its dissolution and formation of an ad hoc committee to replace it.

After the extension, the NSU had on November 27 announced a schedule for its 12th General Convention (January 12 to 14) amid serious reservations from a group of student leaders backed by the Paudel faction. However, the general convention could not take place in the stipulated date, and 45 CWC members of the NSU close to the Paudel camp and six close to the Deuba camp today tendered their resignation to their respective faction leaders, terming NSU President Nain Singh Mahar a ‘failure’ and demanding formation of ad hoc committee to hold the general convention.

The NSU leadership, however, attributes the failure to hold the general convention to external factors such as the Maha Samiti and winter vacation in colleges.

NSU President Mahar said he was determined to hold the general convention. “Now the general convention will be held after the Free Student Union elections,” he told THT.

When asked how that could be possible as the extended tenure would expire on Wednesday, Mahar said the tenure could be extended like it was done before.

On the resignation of NSU CWC members, Mahar said they were just throwing tantrums. He said he had yet toreceive the resignations,

but added that he would approve the resignations if they reached him.

The Sitaula camp, which is in favour of extending the CWC tenure and holding the general convention, says the resignation is a ploy of the groups close to Deuba and Paudel to form ad hoc committee and insert some of their near and dear ones in it. “The age limit of 32 years is attracted if the general convention is held, so they are not in favour of the convention,” a leader close to Sitaula camp said.

However, former acting NSU president Manahari Shrestha, who is actively involved in the ongoing negotiations and is close to the Paudel camp, said it was a baseless allegation because they would not allow inclusion of any member over 32 years in the ad-hoc committee. “We just want the statute to be followed. As per the statute, the CWC is automatically dissolved if it fails to hold the general convention in its extended tenure,” he said.