KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress faction outside the establishment group has demanded an immediate halt to all decisions related to the party’s upcoming general convention, citing the Supreme Court’s decision to review a dispute concerning the party’s legal status and leadership.
The National Gathering Organising Committee of the faction sent a letter to Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa and the Central Working Committee on Wednesday, urging them to keep the party’s organisational, policy and political activities unchanged until the Supreme Court delivers its final verdict.
The committee, coordinated by Dr Shashank Koirala, said the Supreme Court’s full bench had on August 7 granted permission to review the case filed by former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba and former acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka.
According to the committee, the Supreme Court had identified serious legal errors in its earlier ruling and initiated a process to reconsider the case in full.
The faction has claimed that the legal status of the Nepali Congress and the legitimacy of its then leadership have consequently returned to judicial review.
The committee has urged the party leadership and concerned authorities to take steps to prevent further legal and political complications until the court reaches a final decision.
Demand to suspend convention process
The faction has also sent a letter to the Election Commission, asking it to halt the Congress convention process in light of the Supreme Court’s latest order.
In the letter, Koirala demanded that all organisational, technical and policy-related schedules concerning the party’s upcoming 15th General Convention or a special convention be immediately suspended.
He also urged the party not to take any long-term policy, political, organisational or financial decisions until the Supreme Court delivers its final verdict.
“The party’s upcoming 15th General Convention or special convention-related organisational, technical or policy schedules should be immediately suspended,” Koirala said in the letter. “Until the final verdict is delivered, all policy, political, organisational or financial decisions with long-term implications should remain completely unchanged.”
The organising committee said proceeding with far-reaching decisions under the current circumstances could create further disputes and legal complications within the party.
It argued that since the dispute over the legal status and leadership of the Nepali Congress remains sub judice, the party’s existing structure, leadership and major decision-making processes should remain unchanged until the case is finally settled.
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