KATHMANDU, April 25: Presenting a 50-page proposal at the ongoing central working committee meeting of the Nepali Congress (NC) on Tuesday, seven youth leaders of the party demanded early general convention for leadership handover to the second generation.
The second-rung leaders of the party also demanded a Mahasamiti meeting of the party to pave the way for early general convention and statute amendment of the party. NC youth leader Gagan Thapa presented the paper prepared by leaders Thapa, Chandra Bhandari, Dhanraj Gurung, Gururaj Ghimire, Ram Krishna Yadav, Jeevan Pariyar and Pradeep Paudel.
“The party should hold the general convention at the earliest after amending the statute through a Mahasamiti meeting.”
As per the regular schedule, NC's general convention will be held after two years. Insisting that the party president should take the responsibility of election defeat, the emerging leaders of the party also demanded a change in the party's leadership.
“Continuity of the present leadership in the party will undermine the people's mandate. It will be in favor of the party and the president himself if he initiated leadership handover process through the general convention without any delay,” reads the proposal.
Stating that the second-rung leaders of the party have grown up enough to lead the party, the seven leaders have claimed that only the new generation can lead the party in the changed socio-political context, giving a new ideology and life to the party.
The leaders have mentioned that it was unfortunate for the party to face a humiliating defeat in the recent three-tiers of elections while its political line and agenda was being institutionalized.
The leaders have pointed out the party's defensive organizational policy, confusion in political line among other weakness in the document. “The president should take the responsibility of the party's defeat,” the political paper reads.
The NC youth leaders have claimed that the party could regain its political strength and win majority votes in the next election if the party's structure, policies and strategies are revamped and the party leadership is changed soon. They have also urged the party leadership not to wait for the success or failure of the communist alliance to start drastic changes in the party.
The ongoing central working committee meeting is expected to conclude on Wednesday, identifying new challenges of the party and reasons behind its defeat in the recent elections.