Regular Convention Mandatory if Special One Not Held: Secretary Sharma

Kathmandu — Nepali Congress General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma argued that if a special general-convention is not held, then a regular convention becomes mandatory.

With intense disagreements inside the Congress over when to hold the convention, Sharma said that per signatures submitted by 54 percent of the delegates, if a special convention is not called then the only option is a regular convention.

He said: “We must clearly understand whether the demand for a special convention, or its actual organisation, or a regular convention within that timeframe is the only way to address it—without any ifs, buts, howevers or neverthelesss.”

He added that the party’s statute does not prevent a regular convention in Paush, Magh or Vaishakh (roughly December/January, January/February or April/May), but a special convention must be concluded within 90 days per Article 17(2) of the statute.

Because the date for the convention has not yet been fixed, the party’s central working-committee meeting has been in suspense for nearly a month. The party establishment is more inclined to delay the convention, but Sharma (and Gagan Thapa) say that if a special convention will not be held then there is no alternative but a regular convention.

The convention was postponed until Tuesday because of the dispute over its date.