By Our Reporter
NC general convention impossible in September, seeks options to maintain party’s lawful existence
Nepali Congress, the oldest political party of Nepal, is now in crisis to retain the legal status of the national party as holding the 14th general convention on the scheduled date has now become impossible. If the party fails to hold its general convention by September 8, the party may lose its validity.
The dispute in the distribution of active membership, COVID-19 pandemic and unwillingness of party president Sher Bahadur Deuba to hold the general convention in time have invited the situation.
Deuba first extended his term by a year with greed to remain in the party leadership and the extended term expired in March. He did not prepare to hold the general convention within the extended term, and again he extended it by six months which is expiring on September 8.
But still, the party has not sorted out the active membership row. Again the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult to hold the lower level conventions. Moreover, Deuba as well as general secretary Dr Shasank Koirala has started floating the idea of deferring the convention for November. Recently, Dr Koirala said in Nawalparasi that the general convention would be held only in November.
Although party president Deuba has been reiterating that he wanted to inaugurate the general convention on September 1, it is unlikely that the convention will begin on September 1. Now when only 20 days are left for the central convention, it has not held even its ward level conventions. Considering this, Deuba and Koirala are consulting with the Election Commission whether they could postpone the convention for November. They are even ready to pay a financial fine for delaying to hold the convention. On the other hand, CPN-UML that was recently ousted from power is preparing to raise the legality issue of the NC after September 8.
While Deuba is planning to postpone the convention further, the rival faction led by Ram Chandra Paudelis exerting pressure on Deubato to hold the general convention on the scheduled date, and if it is impossible, the party should opt for a special convention. The Paudel faction also held a conference of the district party’s chairmen on Monday to exert pressure on the leadership to hold the convention on the scheduled date.
Poudel has already started expressing ire against Deuba for his inability to hold the convention.
Of course, Deuba, who is currently leading a coalition government, should be blamed for the mess. Had he not extended his term for a year, the party could have already held its 14th convention. But when he extended the term, COVID-19 emerged, which made it impossible to hold the convention, and he further extended the term. But he showed no seriousness to utilize the extended period to prepare the convention, which ultimately culminated in the present mess.
Deuba is still unable to expand Cabinet
By Our Reporter
It is now almost a month since Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba was appointed Prime Minister. But he is still unable to expand his six-member Cabinet.
Earlier, he said that Cabinet would be expanded after making public the Common Minimum Programme of the government. But he did not though the CMP was unveiled on Sunday.
It is said that Deuba is trying to induct the Nepal faction of the UML into the government, and Madhav Kumar Nepal has not yet decided whether he would break the party. The Deuba-led government could be in the minority if it fails to woo the Nepal faction.
Again, the Maoist Centre and the Janatasamajwadi Party-Nepal have not finalized the names of the leaders to be inducted into the Cabinet. Even within NC, the rival faction is not cooperating with the government. These all factors have contributed to the delay. However, Deuba will likely add a few more ministers within a few days.
Dahal plans to become supper PM
Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda of the Maoist Centre, who has dreamt of becoming a super-prime minister by ousting KP Sharma Oli-led government, has materialised his dream by being able to insert the provision of a high-level mechanism in the common minimum programme of the collation government unveiled on Sunday.
Now there will be the high-level mechanism of the political party led by Dahal to control the activities of the government.
Although Prime Minister Deuba was against the idea of constituting the mechanism that the Constitution does not recognise, Dahal has managed to have it at least in the CMP.
If the mechanism is formed, it will have Dahal, Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Ram Chandra Paudel, Upendra Yadav and Chitra Bahadur KC. It means, PM Deuba will be unable to act independently, and he has to make several compromises, which will only curtail the power of the executive head. Moreover, such a mechanism is unconstitutional.
Common minimum programme unveiled, excluding MCC
The ruling alliance has finally unveiled the common minimum programme of the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government. Unveiled 27 days after Deuba’s appointment as new Prime Minister, the CMP surprisingly has not included the controversial Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). And the exclusion of the MCC was pointed out by KP Sharma Oli in parliament on Tuesday.
NC President and Prime Minister Deuba, CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, JanataSamajwadi Party-Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav and Rastriya Janamorcha Chair Chitra Bahadur KC jointly unveiled the CMP that has given main priority to saving citizens’ lives from the COVID-19 pandemic on Sunday.
Nepali Congress general secretary and coordinator of the task force formed to prepare the common minimum programme (CMP) PurnaBahadurKhadka read out the programme in the presence of Prime Minister Deuba, leaders of the ruling parties and ministers at a ceremony organised at Singh Durbar.
The government has identified 11 areas of priority in its CMP. They include launching a battle against COVID-19, instilling the feeling of the supremacy of the Constitution, rule of law and good governance, taking the peace process to a logical conclusion and taking the initiative to amend the constitution by forging consensus among the political parties.
Likewise, formulating and endorsing laws to implement federalism, achieving high growth by stressing on the production-oriented economy, improving the supply system, managing package programmes for the COVID-19 affected sectors, rehabilitation of the people affected by natural calamities, adopting a balanced foreign policy and consolidating national unity are given priority in the 14-page CMP.
According to the CMP, the government is committed to managing vaccines free of cost to all citizens within mid-April, 2022 and one-third of citizens within mid-October.
Similarly, the government has planned to make efforts on establishing labs to manufacture anti-coronavirus vaccines within the country.
The six-point policy framed to control the virus spread includes investigating irregularities prevailing in the procurement of health materials and punishing the wrongdoers.
In the CMP, the government has expressed its commitment to take the 12-point Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the Madhesh movement agreement reached with the state and the parties to a logical end.
The coalition government has also agreed to release jailbirds arrested during arm movement in the country as per the spirit of the CPA agreement. It has also agreed to amend the Act related to Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) and make these Commissions resourceful by hiring necessary manpower for ending the remaining task of the CPA.
Further, the government has shown commitment to making the High-level Probe Commission report led by former Supreme Court justice Girish Chandra Lal formed to investigate the killings during the Madhes movement public and begin the process to release detainees arrested on the charge of their involvement in the Madhes movement by completing necessary legal hurdles.
Similarly, the remaining border issues with the neighbouring countries including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulek will be resolved through diplomatic channels. The joint programme of the government also pledges to increase border security posts (BOPs) for border security and control of smuggling.
The CMP has set priorities to rehabilitate, address and manage the woes of conflict-hit people, families of martyrs and disappeared people in different political movements. The government has also assured of providing a job to at least one family member of those affected and injured during various political movements, their treatment and relief, who had been left out from such facilities due to various reasons.
The CMP also gives priority to end all those remaining works to be completed under the National Reconstruction Authority. The government has set a strategy to manage air ambulance services for the airlift of the victims affected by various natural disasters.
The government has also planned to implement further relief and rehabilitation programmes in monsoon-hit districts like Sindhupalchowk, Manang, Lamjung, Gorkha, Bajura and Saptari.
The government has also announced the creation of policy provisions whereby the contractors would be responsible for the maintenance of the infrastructure projects for the five years after completion.
According to the CMP, an integrated plan would be prepared including land transport, aviation, rail, ship and cable car to strengthen and manage the transport service.
Priority would be given to the expansion work of East-West Highway to four lanes and Ring Road in Kathmandu to eight lanes, and work would be expedited. A feasibility study would be undertaken to create a high-tech city somewhere in the centre of the country.
The government has emphasized creating tourism infrastructure. Likewise, industrial security would be maintained, read the CMP.
As per the common programme, the government would ensure minimum price to the farmers for their produces and their risks would be minimized through agricultural insurance.
The CMP has also included the river diversion and lift irrigation, river embankment, land to the landless and their social upliftment, and integrated implementation of utility services infrastructures like water supply, sewerage, electricity and communication.
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