Kathmandu, January 18

Although Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba urged at the outset that the party’s Central Working Committee meeting today be focussed on the selection of candidates for the upcoming National Assembly election, most of the participants expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership and stressed on introspecting the defeat the party faced in the recently held provincial and parliamentary elections.

In the CWC meeting convened for the first time after the provincial and parliamentary elections  today, participants expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership over failure to abide by the party’s statute in running the party, attributing the same for the party’s election defeat.

The leaders also raised issues such as the leadership’s autocratic way of functioning, need for party’s reform and dissolution of the parliamentary board and central work execution committee formed in violation of the party’s statute.

The leaders were unequivocal that the party should move ahead united by ending factionalism and said that if the leadership failed to ensure that, the party would further decline.

PM Deuba had said at the onset of the meeting held at his official residence in Baluwatar today that another CWC meeting would be called soon to hold extensive discussions on the party’s defeat in the elections and that the meeting should focus on finalising candidates and devising strategy on how the party should present itself in the NA election, according to NC Spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma.

“Rigorous discussions should be held on the party’s defeat in the elections. Maha Samiti will be convened soon, which will decide on the amendment to the party’s statute in line with the federal set-up and chart the party’s future course of action in the post-election context,” NC leader Bal Krishna Khand quoted PM Deuba as saying.

As per the calendar of the NA election (to be held on February 7) published by the Election Commission, nominated candidates have to file their candidature on January 24.

PM Deuba also congratulated party leaders and cadres for ending a protracted transition under the NC’s leadership. He said the party’s biggest success was providing leadership to the promulgation and implementation of the constitution and bringing Madhes-based parties on board the elections by resolving the crisis that had ensued in southern plains immediately after the promulgation of the statute, according to Sharma.

Senior NC leader Ramchandra Paudel told the meeting that another CWC meeting should be convened soon to introspect the party’s crushing defeat in elections and devise strategy to rejuvenate the party.

According to NC leader Dila Sangroula, the meeting will continue tomorrow to discuss candidates to be nominated for the NA election. She said the party president had delegated the authority of devising strategy and finalising candidates for the NA election in each of the seven provinces to CWC members of respective provinces.

“Tomorrow, CWC members from seven provinces will hold separate consultations and put forth an outline of the strategy for contesting the NA election in the CWC meet,” said Sangroula.

She said the participants also urged that those who faced defeat in the local, provincial and parliamentary elections not be nominated for the NA election, and opportunity be given to those  CWC members who were not awarded tickets in past elections.

“These inputs might be included in the criteria to be developed for the selection of NA election candidates,” said Sangroula.