Kathmandu: Nepal`s second largest party,
Nepali Congress will hold a five-day general convention from
tomorrow to elect a successor to late party president G P
Koirala and other office bearers, amidst a political deadlock
in the country that is threatening the fragile peace process.
Ahead of the 12th general convention, general
secretary Bimalendra Nidhi said the party wants to play a
"decisive role" in bringing democratisation and constitution-
drafting process on the right track.
The convention comes as the political parties have
failed in a series of attempts to elect a new Prime Minister,
two months after Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned from the top
post.
Nepali Congress president Sushil Koirala and former
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba are the main contenders for
the post of president which fell vacant following Koirala`s
death in March. The NC veteran had dominated the country`s
politics and the party for the last two decades.
"This general convention holds special importance in
Nepal`s political history as the Nepali Congress has been
shouldered the responsibility to manage and lead the peace
process and the process of drafting the constitution," Nidhi
told PTI in an interview.
NC leader Ramchandra Poudyal and Maoist chief
Prachanda have contested seven rounds of inconclusive prime
ministerial run-offs, even as the constitution drafting
process remains on hold.
But, Nidhi said Nepali Congress has to take leadership.
Narahari Acharya and Bhim Bahadur Tamang have also
announced their candidacy for the posts of President and
general secretary.
Many youths, including a large number of women, have
filed nominations for the central committee membership of the
party. The party currently has 325,000 active members
throughout the country.
The party will also adopt the General Secretary`s
Report which mentions the breaching of the past agreements by
the Maoists and the achievements made by the party after the
11th general convention held five years ago.
The party will also hold a grand rally, that will be
addressed by acting President Sushil Koirala, and former Prime
Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba among others, as a show of
strength tomorrow.
PTI
