Kathmandu March 6

Rival factions of the Nepali Congress led by senior leader Ramchandra Paudel and Krishna Prasad Sitaula have been holding meetings to up the ante against NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba who is in a bid to prolong his grip on the party by delaying the general convention.

Leaders of rival camps, who met at NC leader Prakash Man Singh’s residence at Chaksibari yesterday and today, have charged that the establishment faction led by President Deuba has been violating the party statute.

Today’s meeting was attended by Shashank Koirala, Paudel, Singh, Sitaula, Sita Devi Yadav, Shekhar Koirala, Minendra Rijal, Gagan Thapa, Chandra Bhandari, Arjun Narsingh KC, Ram Sharan Mahat and Nabindra Raj Joshi, among others.

Sitaula was absent in yesterday’s meeting.

“We discussed President Deuba’s move against the mandate of the recently held meeting of the Maha Samiti,” said a participant. “We demand that the issue be discussed in the party, but the president is not creating conducive environment for discussion.”

The source said disgruntled leaders would continue talks. “President Deuba should follow the party’s mandate. He can’t go against the party statute,” the leader said.

Former NC Maha Samiti member Sudersan Acharya told The Himalayan Times, “Deuba does not want to give up his tight grip on the party and wants to lead the party again through the next general convention. The disgruntled faction, on the other hand, wants equal say in the party. The president should follow the party statute and he cannot impose his monopoly on the party.”

He said Deuba had set a wrong precedent by endorsing the party’s statute on the basis of majority votes.

As per NC statute provisions, the party’s next general convention should be held within the next year or so. However, the country’s constitution provisions that parties should hold their general convention every five years and it can be extended by six months in exceptional cases.

“So Deuba can delay the general convention citing the constitutional provision and extend his grip on the party,” Acharya said. “Suspecting this, the disgruntled factions are worried and are trying to avoid such a situation.”