Thapa said top leaders of Nepal's political parties had the tendency to occupy party posts for long periods and took turns to become prime minister in the manner of musical chairs
KATHMANDU, JULY 24
General Secretary of Nepali Congress Gagan Kumar Thapa today told party leaders that although he had lost parliamentary party (PP) leadership election, he would continue his bid to ensure that young leaders got the chance to lead the party in the House of Representatives.
Addressing the party's ongoing Central Working Committee meeting here today, Thapa said it was difficult to change the parliamentary party leader but young leaders should not lose hope and they should not abandon efforts to become the PP leader.
He said he would be content if any other young leader became the PP leader.
He took a jibe at party President Sher Bahadur Deuba saying that he expected Deuba to announce in a few months that he was ready to hand over the PP leadership to a young leader of the party.
Stating that top leaders of Nepal's political parties had the tendency to occupy party posts for long periods and took turns to become the prime minister in the manner of a musical chair contest, but now was the time to change this situation. He said old leaders' tendency to hold the party leadership for indefinite period had pushed their respective parties into crisis.
He also said that the party should make it a rule to hold the party's CWC meeting every two or three months so that there would be certainty about party meetings.
Thapa said the NC being the largest partner in the ruling coalition should lead all development efforts and not compromise on its ideals on any pretext.
He also said the NC should not be eager to add Cabinet portfolios in the provinces.
To those leaders who demanded change in the election system, Thapa said the NC should lead the effort to amend the constitution but within the current federal, democratic republican order. Provinces should be further strengthened.
The federal government has not yet made umbrella laws and yet some people are saying that provincial governments are expensive and these governments have failed to deliver.
Thapa said that the Election Commission had proposed some good provisions in the draft election bill and the party needed to back those proposals.
NC Vice-president Dhanraj Gurung said the party's decision to livestream CWC meeting must continue also during local, provincial and parliamentary elections, especially when the party selects candidates.
Gurung said he wanted to end the tendency of newly appointed judges going to political parties' headquarters to express their gratitude for the job. A few years ago, newly appointed judges had visited CPN- UML headquarters in Balkhu to express gratitude to the party leadership on getting selected.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 25, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
