Talks are currently underway at Baluwatar between the establishment faction of the Nepali Congress and leaders organizing the party’s special convention to resolve the internal dispute that has surfaced amid the ongoing special convention at Bhrikutimandap.
A team led by General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma began discussions with the establishment side earlier this morning in an effort to address the growing rift within the party. Representing the special convention faction in the talks are Pradip Paudel, Gururaj Ghimire, Madhu Acharya, and Devaraj Chalise.
From the establishment side led by party president Sher Bahadur Deuba, Ramesh Lekhak and Balkrishna Khand are participating, while Jivan Pariyar and Minendra Rijal are attending on behalf of the Shekhar Koirala faction.
Although the special convention faction had invited President Deuba and other establishment leaders to attend the convention at Bhrikutimandap, they did not participate. The special convention was convened by Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma after the establishment faction, through the party’s executive committee, announced that the regular general convention would be held in Baisakh and made the dates public.
More than 51 percent of Nepali Congress general convention delegates have called for immediate changes in party policy and leadership. The special convention faction has warned that if their demands continue to be ignored by the establishment side, they will begin the election process from today through the ongoing special convention.
The future course of the special convention is expected to be decided based on the outcome of the talks between the establishment and special convention factions.
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