KATHMANDU: The Maha Samiti meeting of Nepali Congress (NC), the major opposition party in parliament, has kicked off in Kathmandu from today. Maha Samiti is the party's highest policy-making body.

The meeting that was supposed to be held by mid-September as per decision made by the NC's Central Working Committee was called to consider the amendment in the party's statute to restructure the party's organization in line with the country's federal set-up and constituency delineation.

A majority of representatives have already arrived Kathmandu for the meeting which will hold deliberations on five important documents, according to NC Spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma.

Around 1,600 representatives comprising Maha Samiti members elected from 240 electorates, central committee members and sister-organizations' representatives, representatives from the Public Liaison Committees stationed abroad and observers among others could register their names at the NC's central office at Sanepa, Lalitpur from 2pm-5pm today itself.

Similarly, the political organisational documents would be distributed to the participants of the Maha Samiti. The inauguration of the Maha Samiti meeting would commence at 11 am tomorrow at Yagambar Party Palace in Kathmandu.

Afterwards, the close camp would begin immediately, shared Spokesperson Sharma, adding that NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba is scheduled to inaugurate the event.

The five documents which were presented and discussed in the party's central committee such as the political report, organizational report, statute amendment, economic policy and the internal economic report would be presented in the Maha Samiti's meeting.

NC Vice-President Bimalendra Nidhi would present political report while the party's General-Secretary Dr Shashank Koirala the organizational report. Another General-Secretary Purna Bahadur Khadka is scheduled to present the statute amendment report while Joint General-Secretary Dr Ram Sharan Mahat would submit NC's economic policy and Party's Treasurer Sitadevi Yadav the Internal Economic Report.

As the meeting progresses, the Maha Samiti members would be divided into seven provincial groups to study and discuss these documents, added Spokesperson Sharma.

The close camp would begin from December 16 -18 from 8am-5pm every day.

Around Rs 10 million is estimated to be spent to hold the Maha Samiti meeting. The expenses would be met by the Party's internal fund and registration fees collected from the registration of the Maha Samiti members.

The representatives elected for the Maha Samiti meeting would be provided for breakfast and two meals but they have to arrange accommodation for themselves, according to NC.

Although Clause 20 of the NC's statute mandates the Maha Samiti meeting to be held annually, this is the first Maha Samiti meeting held since the last 13th General Convention of NC held in March 2016.

NC's leader Ram Chandra Pokharel said that the Party had been holding its Maha Samiti meeting during the political crisis and when it was underground since its establishment in 1950.

The oldest social-democratic party in the country has been holding political conferences time to time and the decisions and policy made in those conferences have been creating a long-term impact to the party itself as well as the country, said NC leader and historian Purushottam Basnet.

The ongoing meeting is expected to address the differing views raised within the party. The meeting will conclude on December 18.

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