KATHMANDU: The Central Working Committee meeting called by the Nepali Congress establishment faction for 8 am on Wednesday is set to begin shortly.
Although the meeting was scheduled for 8 am, it is now expected to take place later in the day. The meeting is preparing to initiate disciplinary action against the organizers of the second Special General Convention, including General Secretaries Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma.
Nepali Congress central member Guru Baral said the party leadership is ready to move forward with action against leaders backing the Special Convention.
According to Baral, talks failed after the general secretaries insisted that party President Sher Bahadur Deuba must step down and also refrain from contesting the parliamentary election scheduled for March 5. He said other issues were close to being resolved, but Deuba’s refusal to give up leadership led to the current deadlock.
Baral said Deuba had agreed to step down from party leadership but wanted to contest the upcoming parliamentary election, a condition the general secretaries did not accept.
“They insisted that he should not contest the election. Even when the president said he would leave the leadership but run in the election, they did not agree,” Baral said. “All possible efforts were made, but they failed. Now a Central Working Committee meeting in Sanepa is preparing for disciplinary action.”
The party moved closer to a split after talks between Deuba and General Secretaries Thapa and Sharma at Maharajgunj on Wednesday morning ended without agreement.
On Tuesday, a Central Working Committee meeting scheduled for 1 pm was delayed until 7:30 pm and then immediately adjourned.
Meanwhile, nomination registration at the Special General Convention venue in Bhrikutimandap has been completed. Candidates for party president and Central Working Committee members have already filed their nominations, and the election process is now underway.
Comment