Vijaya Chalise

Though many senior leaders see the need for a transfer of power, they are unlikely to challenge G P Koirala.

Five years after its last general convention, the Nepali Congress central working committee (CWC) has finally decided to hold its 11th general convention from September 30 to October 2 in Kathmandu. It had postponed the convention scheduled for March 2-5, 2005, following the February 1 royal takeover. The NC statute clearly says the convention should be held every three years. NC is also under pressure to hold the convention because, according to the regulation of the Election Commission, registration of any political party will be cancelled if it fails to hold its convention and to constitute its central committee within five years. Obviously, the convention of an old and major party assumes great national importance, particularly at a time of the continuing national impasse and when the parliament and local bodies do not exist. The Congress will have to decide its course to take on the serious challenges facing it as well as the country. Within the party, calls are growing for an amended statute to permit greater internal democracy. There is an increasing pressure within the party for a review of its past policies and weaknesses to take a new and clear direction for the future. Most of the senior leaders favour abolition of the provision that empowers the party president to nominate about half the total number of CWC members.

A five-member committee has been formed to suggest necessary amendments to the party statute. It is reported that the party leadership wants the abolition of the provision of compulsory 10-year active membership to be eligible for CWC membership. Many party members oppose this idea floated mainly by Sekhar Koirala, who has recently joined active NC politics, and is a cousin of party president Girija P Koirala. Some Congress cadres allege that the recommendation committee was constituted mainly to amend this 10-year provision, but not to promote internal democracy. Even the district party convention has generated controversy. It is said many central leaders including Shailaja Acharya had proposed at a recent CWC meeting a comprehensive review of the recently conducted controversial district conventions in over a dozen districts. However, president Koirala intervened by asking party leaders to stop wrangling on the issue. Even the postponed general convention had plunged into controversy as some of the party’s senior leaders at that time demanded that the local conventions be immediately stopped on the ground that these had been marred by the fraudulent distribution of active membership. They blamed party general secretary Sushil Koirala for conspiring against the possible nomination of certain leaders that might challenge G P Koirala for the central leadership.

Party chief Koirala had called on second generation leaders Ram Chandra Poudyal, Shailaja Acharya and Shushil Koirala to come forward with a consensus on a new leader from among them, implying that otherwise he would again be compelled to retain the post. Previously, NC had been run by the troika leadership of Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Ganesh Man Singh and Girija Prasad Koirala till 2048 after B P Koirala’s death. When Bhattarai was defeated in the first general election after the 1990 movement, Koirala became stronger in the party. After Singh’s ouster, Koirala tightened his grip on the party. The second generation troika of RSS (Ram Chandra Poudyal, Shailaja Acharya and Sher Bahadur Deuba) were sidelined in the party after Sushil Koirala came on the scene.

Even after the exit of the Deuba faction to form a separate party, the Congress is already internally divided following the CWC’s re-interpretation last December of the party statute, clearing the way for party president Koirala to contest the presidency for a third term. The party’s 10th convention had decided that nobody can be party president for more than two terms. The Congress leaders and its sister organisations are also deeply divided over the issues of constitutional monarchy and republican setup.

For long, second generation leaders have stressed the need for a transfer of power from the old guard to them. Poudel and Acharya, the senior leaders after Koirala, and their supporters see several reasons for changing Koirala’s leadership. However, they fear a serious rift in the party if they challenge his leadership in the changed political context. Poudel is unlikely to challenge Koirala, and Acharya has already said she would not contest as Koirala is still keen on re-election. Therefore, this time, too, the transfer of power is highly unlikely, in spite of serious questions being raised about Koirala’s leadership, his age factor and party statute amendment. There is no doubt that Koirala, even at this age, is still active and commands majority support in the party. But, in any democratic party there should be a healthy competition and clash of ideas. Therefore, second generation leaders should show their courage to challenge Koirala at the polls, if they do not want to get the post as a gift.

Chalise is executive editor, Gorkhapatra