NC leaders oppose idea of postponing Mahasamiti meeting

(NH Reporter, September 20) Nepali Congress leaders have opposed the idea of postponing the Mahasamiti meeting called for November, this year as suggested by party president Girija Prasad Koirala.

Speaking at the Central Committee (CC) meeting on Saturday leaders including Ram Chandra Poudel, Prakash Man Singh, Gopal Man Shrestha and Arjun Narsingh KC opined that the Mahasamiti meeting should not be postponed.

The meeting has decided to apprise president Koirala about the discussions of the meeting and try and convince him for the Mahasamiti meeting. The CC has entrusted working president Shushil Koirala to convince the party president on the issue.

Koirala had called some senior leaders at his residence in Maharajgunj, Saturday morning and urged them to stop the Mahasamiti meeting saying it would only add financial burden to the party.

A CC meeting on August 29 had decided to call a Mahasamiti meeting from November 1 – 3 in Birgunj to discuss important issues like changing the modality of party leadership by amending its statute and making the party’s official positions on some issues of new constitution. The same meeting had also decided to organise the party’s 12th general convention from March 11 -14 in Kathmandu.

Mahasamiti, which has about 1500 members, is the second most powerful body of the party, after the general convention.

President Koirala suggested not to call the Mahasamiti meeting as the issues could be discussed and resolved by the general convention itself. Saturday’s CC meeting has decided to hold the Mahasamiti meeting at the lowest possible cost to minimise the financial burden to the party keeping in view of the suggestion of the president.

On Saturday’s CC meeting, Chakra Prasad Bastola, Khum Bahadur Khadka, Narahari Acharya, Purna Bahadur Khadka, Govind Raj Joshi and Deep Kumar Upadhyay had opined a Mahasamiti meeting is a must to propel the party in a new way.

Some leaders including Anand Prasad Dhungana, Dilendra Prasad Badu and Badu had spoken for the party president saying the statute ammendment could be discussed at the general convention itself.

Although, party president Koirala has said suggested to postpone the meeting due to cost factor, analysts say there are political motives behind the suggestions.