Kathmandu, September 17
Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa has urged former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba to attend and inaugurate the party’s 15th general convention, saying his participation would be a matter of honour for the party.
Addressing the party’s Central Working Committee meeting on Thursday, Thapa appealed to Deuba to inaugurate the convention scheduled to begin on October 2.
“My respected leader and former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba, I would like to make an appeal to you,” Thapa said. “Some colleagues have said that if the former party president inaugurates the convention on the day it begins, it would be a matter of honour for us.”
Thapa also said the party statute does not allow Deuba to seek another term as party president.
“The party statute also says the same. He is not going to become the party president again,” Thapa said.
The Nepali Congress is scheduled to begin its general convention at Khulamanch on October 2. Ward-level conventions are scheduled for September 19 and 20, followed by municipal, district and provincial conventions.
Thapa said the party should focus on maintaining unity as it moves through the convention process.
“We will begin the convention at Khulamanch on October 2. Ward conventions will be held on the 19th and 20th, followed by the municipal convention,” he said. “There has been pressure regarding the district and provincial conventions, but there will also be an opportunity for further discussions with party colleagues. As far as possible, we should stand together for party unity.”
‘We are one family’
Thapa also urged party leaders and members not to take sharp remarks made during internal discussions personally.
He acknowledged that leaders may sometimes make harsh comments about one another but said such remarks should not be allowed to damage relations within the party.
“I may have made a sharp comment about someone at times, and someone may have made a sharp comment about me. We have never taken such things personally,” Thapa said.
Describing the Nepali Congress as a family, Thapa said disagreements and occasional friction were natural in a political organisation.
“Our party is a family. We are one family. When a family lives together, sometimes there are bumps along the way,” he said. “There may have been such instances from me, and there may have been such instances from other colleagues. These are normal things. We should discuss them in a cordial manner and move forward.”
Thapa’s remarks come as the party prepares for its general convention amid internal differences and efforts to bring different factions together around the convention process.
