Kathmandu, July 20: The dissident faction of the Nepali Congress (NC) has decided to observe the 44th memorial day of the party’s founding leader and Nepal’s first democratically elected prime minister, B.P. Koirala, separately on July 22 (Shrawan 6).
According to Min Bishwokarma, coordinator of the faction’s publicity committee, an organising committee has been formed under the convenorship of former NC vice president and former deputy prime minister Prakash Man Singh to hold the memorial programme at Pragya Bhawan in Kamaladi, Kathmandu.
He said additional committees, including publicity and management committees, would be formed as necessary.
The decision was taken at a meeting held at the contact office for the 15th General Convention Preparatory Committee. The meeting was chaired by former acting president of the NC Central Working Committee Purna Bahadur Khadka and attended by former office bearers and central committee members elected during the party’s 14th general convention.
At a press conference on Sunday, the faction said it has continued to exercise patience and make sincere efforts to preserve party unity despite the recent internal developments.
“We have continued our initiatives for party unity while respecting the rule of law and judicial independence, even after the decisions of the Election Commission and the Supreme Court. Contrary to public rumours, there have been no formal meetings, negotiations, or concrete proposals with the faction recognised by the Commission and the Court,” a statement issued by Min Bishwokarma on Sunday said.
The faction dismissed as baseless, false and misleading reports suggesting that supporters of a regular general convention have been putting forward increasingly unacceptable demands that have complicated efforts toward party unity.
The dissident group accused the leadership that emerged from the special general convention of failing to make any meaningful or result-oriented effort to restore unity. It claimed that despite its own continuous initiatives, maximum flexibility, and prolonged patience during dialogue, no substantive progress had been made even after seven months since the dispute began and four months since the Supreme Court verdict.
The faction also announced that supporters of a regular general convention had concluded that a national gathering would be held in Kathmandu within the month of Shrawan to formulate a new political direction through nationwide policy discussions aimed at strengthening party unity and safeguarding the freedom and civil rights of the Nepali people.
Bishwokarma said the date, time and venue of the national gathering would be announced during the B.P. Koirala Memorial Day programme on July 22.
The dissident faction also urged the Government of Nepal to take immediate measures for rescue, relief and compensation as heavy rainfall continues to increase the risk of floods, landslides and inundation across the country. It appealed to the public to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions.
People’s News Monitoring Service.
Login to add a comment