KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress leader Chandra Bhandari has said that the party should not be allowed to split in the name of a special general convention.
Addressing a press conference in Kathmandu on Saturday, Bhandari said the Nepali Congress has a long history of leading the country’s political transformation, and that any move that weakens party unity in the name of a special convention would be unacceptable.
He suggested that the proposed special convention be held as a policy convention or a resolution convention instead, rather than one that risks deepening internal divisions.
Bhandari said party leaders and cadres who have come to Kathmandu for the special convention should be motivated and sent back home, with the understanding that they would return again for the regular general convention scheduled four months later.
He also stressed that supporters of the special convention should work to keep the party united, while the establishment faction should also show a sense of ownership and inclusiveness.
Referring to the Gen-Z movement, Bhandari said the party leadership has failed to reposition the Nepali Congress in line with the new political realities that emerged after the youth-led uprising.
Meanwhile, another party leader Sunil Sharma said efforts were underway to prevent a split in the party.
He said although attempts were being made to resolve the dispute surrounding the special convention, the talks were not moving toward a solution.
Sharma blamed the crisis on the establishment faction’s disregard for the party statute, saying this was what led to the current situation.
He added that the party leadership must take the primary responsibility for resolving the dispute and restoring unity within the Nepali Congress.
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