Kathmandu, November 17

A day before Nepal Students Union Central Committee’s term ended, NSU leaders shouted slogans against Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and prevented him from entering party headquarters in Lalitpur.

Student leaders, angry with the party leadership for not amending the NSU statute to extend the deadline for the NSU general convention, created commotion at the NC party office leading to scuffle between various factions of the student body.

Deuba could enter the party headquarters only after security forces intervened.

NSU is divided into Deuba, Ramchandra Paudel, Shashank Koirala and Krishna Situala factions. Some NSU leaders opposed the party establishment, while others shouted slogans in support of the establishment faction.

NC leaders later held a meeting for four hours in the party office to discuss the NSU general convention date and statute amendment issues but could not finalise anything. They also held a brief meeting of the Central Working Committee but failed to take any decision on the demands of NSU leaders.

Senior NC leader Ramchandra Paudel’s group in the NSU wants to dissolve the incumbent NSU Central Committee and form a General Convention Organising Committee. Deuba’s group wants to amend the NSU statute and let the incumbent CC of the NSU hold the next general convention of the NSU.

As per the NSU statute, the general convention should be held every two years and if that was not possible the deadline could be extended by three more months, which was already done.

NC had formed a committee including Prakash Sharan Mahat from the Deuba group, Nabindra Raj Joshi from the Paudel group and Gururaj Ghimire from General Secretary Shashank Koirala’s group to resolve the dispute over NSU’s general convention, but the committee failed. The issue was therefore referred to the party leadership.

“We can organise the general convention within three months if the party gives its nod to the draft of our new statute,” NSU General Secretary Kundan Raj Kafle told THT.

According to sources, Nabindra Raj Joshi today proposed dissolution of the NSU Central Committee and formation of a new General Convention Organising Committee under Manojmani Acharya.

Acharya, who is close to Paudel had lost in election to incumbent NSU President Nainsingh Mahar, who is close to Deuba. The Deuba group does not want to dissolve the Mahar-led NSU Central Committee.

“We discussed various alternatives, including the option of extending the deadline for holding the NSU’s general convention as well as dissolving the NSU Central Committee. We are trying to forge consensus,” NC leader Arjun Narsingh KC said. According to him a meeting tomorrow afternoon will take necessary decisions.

NC’s choices

• Deuba faction for amending NSU statute and allowing incumbent NSU central committee to hold the general convention
• Paudel group for dissolution of NSU central committee and a new organising committee to hold general convention