LALITPUR: Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa has pledged to develop the party into a trusted institution that earns public confidence and leads ideological and social movements.
Addressing the gathering after taking the oath of office at the party’s central office in Sanepa on Saturday, Thapa said democracy, citizens’ dignity and social justice would be the party’s core principles.
“Over the next four years, we will prioritize citizens’ issues and concerns over internal party activities. We will advance the Nepali Congress as an ideological force capable of responding to the questions facing Nepali society today, modernize the organization and engage everyone from young people to farmers in social movements,” he said.
Thapa also pledged to bring together both supporters and dissenting voices within the party and ensure transparent and accountable leadership.
Describing the presidency as a responsibility rather than a position of authority, he said the party should not have to bear the burden of his personal mistakes, adding that individuals must take responsibility for their own shortcomings.
He also said the Nepali Congress had decided to avoid lavish Dashain celebrations this year as many families were grieving and facing hardship following recent natural disasters.
Thapa urged party leaders, cadres and the general public to celebrate the festival in solidarity with disaster-affected families and those who had lost loved ones, while maintaining social harmony.
Senior advocate Prem Bahadur Khadka, coordinator of the party’s Central Election Committee, said the election had been completed within a short timeframe despite a tight schedule. He noted that conventions had been held across all 165 electoral constituencies, paving the way for the party’s central general convention.
Khadka urged Thapa to help address the growing lack of political discipline in the country, safeguard national sovereignty, protect citizens’ right to live with dignity and uphold human rights.
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