‘Deuba likely to adjust event calendar, but not general convention date’

KATHMANDU, Jan 8: Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba is ready to make a change to the events calendar expect the date of the 14th general convention, according to leader Prakash Saran Mahat.

A meeting of the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the party on December 28 has scheduled the general convention for February 19-22 next year amid a boycott from the rival faction led by Ram Chandra Paudel.

The meeting has also fixed ward level conventions on November 24, rural municipalities and municipalities conventions on November 26, provincial assembly regional conventions on November 30, House of Representatives regional convention on December 2, district-level conventions on December 10 and provincial conventions on December 31.

But the rival faction called the announcements “unilateral” and decided not to attend any CWC meeting unless the establishment faction withdrew the decisions—creating a further rift within the main opposition party.

The rival faction has been holding a gathering which is being participated by 46 district presidents questioning Dueba’s leadership and pressuring Deuba to revoke the “unilateral” decisions, which also include stretching of the current working committee’s tenure by one year and increment in the number of party’s central departments from existing 28 to 47.

According to party sources, Deuba, after holding consultations with the leaders close to him, is considering some flexibility as he does not want the further conflict to affect the general convention.

The rift has also blown cold air to Deuba’s hopes of being reelected as the party president.

The sources added that he is likely to withdraw the decision to add new departments at the party.

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