The Kathmandu Post/Kathmandu
Nepali Congress, the Himalayan country’s oldest and second largest political party, has often been criticised for lacking internal democracy. Girija Prasad Koirala, the party’s octogenarian leader, has been refusing to step down as its president despite repeated requests.
But all these are about to change.
In a historical decision, the party’s high committee has unanimously passed a resolution to adopt an “institutional leadership”, pushing a mighty Koirala and his notion of solo leadership to a minority. The high committee is the apex body of the party.
The resolution, endorsed by the full house of the meeting, has curtailed the landslide nomination rights of the party president, making it more inclusive and to hold elections on some major posts including party Central Committee (CC) members and office bearers.
According to the passed resolution, the party president, one post each of general secretary, treasure and 61 CC members would be elected by the general assembly.
Also, the party president, upon the approval from the CC meeting, would appoint three office bearers - vice chair, general secretary and joint general secretary.
Supporting the view of the incumbent party president Girija Prasad Koirala and some of the high committee members, the amended statute provides some privileges to the party president to nominate 21 CC members. The entire capacity of the CC and party office bearers will now be 85.
Making the statute more inclusive, the party president should nominate each member from, representing women, Dalits (“untouchables”), indigenous population, Madeshis and Muslims out of the 21 CC members. The ratio of election and nomination is now 75: 25. The president will appoint 25 CC members and three party office bearers, according to senior party leader Krishna Prasad Situala.
The new statute ensures that 14 central members would be elected from each zones out of 61. Among them, it is mandatory that out of the 61members, at least six posts for women, five for Dalits, five for the indigenous population, five for Madeshis and one from Muslims quotas were reserved and guaranteed.
The jamboree has decided to upgrade the numbers of representative in party general assembly and high committee from the constituency level. The new provision ensures that 12 representatives from each constituency along with one-woman member will take part in the general assembly. Earlier the number was seven.
The representation on high committee is increased by three to five from each constituency with mandatory of a woman representative. The entire tenure of the party organisation would be four years.
“We have entered a historic era by deciding such a big decision of the meeting,” party Vice Chairman Ram Chandra Poudel said.
The journey has begun towards the “institutional system”, said Situala. — ANN |
