Kathmandu, January 10

Newly-appointed spokesperson for the Nepali Congress Bishwa Prakash Sharma today said the meeting of the party’s Central working Committee would take some time to convene as the current priority of the party, which heads the incumbent government, was to successfully hold the National Assembly elections and pave the way for formation of the new government.

NC leaders have been demanding that the party immediately hold a CWC meet followed by Maha Samiti to introspect the crushing defeat in the recently-held provincial and parliamentary elections and chart a course for the party’s revival.

Some of the leaders are even demanding special general meeting and change of party leadership, while others are saying publicly that those aged above 70 years should not hold executive posts in the party and play the role of guardian.

Against this backdrop, Sharma said it was normal that leaders of a democratic party expressed differing opinions after such a huge election loss. “But a mere leadership change is not going to solve the problem. The party needs to be reformed. Each member should also change themselves,” said Sharma at an interaction held at NC headquarters in Sanepa, Lalitpur. “A leader should not be gilded by age, but by agenda. Those who change take the leadership, and those who don’t take farewell.”

Stating that reforming a party would obviously take some time, he said the CWC meeting to be held soon would chart the party’s future course of action for its rejuvenation, and the same meet would decide on the Maha Samiti too.

Sharma said Prime Minister and NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba and other top leaders were preoccupied with work of highest importance such as forging political consensus among parties for announcing temporary provincial headquarters and naming province chiefs, leading to delay in holding the CWC meet. “Our president has some immediate responsibilities as the country’s prime minister that should be fulfilled first,” he said.