KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) leadership has come under fire for trying to ‘keep a tight rein’ on the party central members.
Party central working committee (CWC) members have alleged the party leadership for bringing what they said ‘stringent’ rules that bar central leaders from criticizing the party top-notch and expressing grudges in public.
The blame-game, as usual, has erupted within the NC as the party leadership continued to draw flak from the central members in the course of formulating the party regulation. The leadership, however, has dubbed the regulation, which is almost at the final stage, of being democratic.
The leadership has been accused of trying to make the ‘mass-based’ party as a ‘cadre-based’ political outfit after the latter decided to add a provision of ‘monthly levy’ from the party cadres in the regulation. Following pressure from the central members, the leadership, has however, corrected the decision.
NC leadership has also instructed the drafting committee to ‘reconsider’ the provision of collecting levy from party cadres. “The party has introduced a new provision that would require all central members and office bearers, including the party president, to give Rs 20 to the party on a daily basis,” party spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma told Khabarhub.
According to him, party president Deuba instructed the central committee to reduce the membership fee. “Now that the central office-bearers will have to pay Rs 7,200 to the party annually,” Sharma informed. Likewise, a member of the party’s village municipality member will have to pay Rs 365 annually.
The party is also divided on the formation of committees whether they should be constituted as per the federal structure at eight levels or wait for the general convention.
Some central members argue that holding the elections at all the levels during the 14th general convention of the party. Senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel and his faction have emphasized the need to announce the working schedule for the next general convention. Poudel is against the idea of constituting interim committees.
Party President Deuba and his faction believe on the formation of the committees prior to announce the working schedule for the convention. It should, however, be noted that the Article 72 (4) of the party statute requires formation of the committees as part of the interim provision to go for federal structure.
Deuba’s term expires in March next year and according to the party statute, he can extend his term by a year.
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