Pokhara, Jan. 19: President of the Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala said that with the amendment of the statute to elect 50 per cent of the party’s Central Working Committee members through direct and open election, the process of giving the leadership of the party to the younger generation has begun. This will allow the entry of many new young faces into the party’s leadership, he said.
“But the younger generation has failed to realise this,” the Prime Minister told a mammoth gathering on the occasion of the inauguration of the party’s 10th General Convention at the Pokhara Stadium today. So, he asked the second generation of the party to be patient.
The change in the party’s presidential system of leadership was necessary because of the new challenges faced by the party and the country.
Koirala inaugurated the party’s General Convention today by lighting an oil-fed lamp amidst a gathering of almost 100,000 people, which included high-ranking leaders, convention delegates, Mahasamiti members, invitees, party workers and common people.
At the function, senior party leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai unfurled the party’s flag. Both the leaders, Premier Koirala and former prime minister Bhattarai, also released 10 pairs of pigeons as a symbol of peace. A helicopter also showered flower petals at the venue, at the dais were Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, members of the Central Working Committee of the Nepali Congress, party’s district committee presidents, MPs, ministers, invitees which included foreign delegates and representatives from different political parties.
Addressing the inaugural function, Koirala said the General Convention of the Nepali Congress was taking place at a very crucial stage when the party and the country are facing numerous challenges from various sectors such as the Maoists. Citing the recent incident of communal violence, Koirala said, it was an attempt to hit at the very root of Nepal’s unity and harmony among its people rather than the Nepali Congress only.
He said because the Nepali Congress is a ruling party, the challenges before the party are numerous and varied. One of them is to make politics and the country’s administration corruption free and make it service-oriented, he said. He said the Convention should address this challenge.
He said: “As the real strength of the Nepali Congress lies in the rural areas, any attempt to divide and defeat the party will fail completely. The convention should find ways to uplift the majority of the people who are reeling under the vicious cycle of poverty.”
He further said the convention should also deliberate on leading the country and create a basis for party unity and consensus among all the political parties who believe in democracy.
He expressed his firm belief that the party’s convention will be able to find a way out of the challenges faced by the party.
He said the NC has a challenge of concentrating all its energy and unifying all the parties and groups which are in favour of the multiparty system and the present constitution.
Earlier, a procession of the convention delegates, participants, party workers and supporters had started from the B.P. Chowk at Chipledhunga of Pokhara and converged into a mass meeting at the Stadium.
The Pokhara Stadium was colourfully decorated with flags of the Nepali Congress and its sister organisations all around the pitch. Almost every square foot of the ground and the parapet of the stadium was filled with participants and the people, who were eager to find out what new course the Nepali Congress was going to take after the General Convention.
Speaking at the inaugural function, party leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai said the Nepali Congress should look back and evaluate its performances of the last 10 years. He said NC has been struggling for democracy since the day it was born.
“Now as democracy has been established in the country the party should work in a new way and the main purpose of the convention is to find way to make democracy vibrant and kicking,” said Bhattarai.
Putting forth his opinion about the convention, Deputy Prime Minister Ramchandra Poudel said that through the convention the Nepali Congress was practising democratic exercise within the party. He hoped that the convention would generate new belief and hope despite all the difficulties the party has had to face. “The first priority is to stabilise and strengthen democracy in the country,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.
Similarly, Speaker of the House of Representatives Taranath Ranabhat said the convention is a proclamation of acrusade against partisan differences, irregularities and instability. “The task of fulfilling the aspirations of the people lies on the Nepali Congress,” said Ranabhat.
Likewise, General Secretary of the party Sushil Koirala said the main concern today is whether democracy has been weakened and instability has crept in the country’s political sector because of the irregularities and anomalies seen in the last ten years.
But, he said, he is not pessimistic, as this convention will strengthen democracy with a clear cut direction and directives to the Nepali Congress. He also asked all to decide independently and with clear conscience.
Sher Bahadur Deuba, a contestant for the party presidency, said the main problem facing the country today is the Maoist problem and that he has the formula to solve this problem if he is selected to the party’s top post. Riterating his views at a programmes in Pokhara yesterday, he said his victory would ease the burden of Koirala. He also said he would extend all possible support to Koirala to make him the most successful Prime Minister the country has ever seen. He also said if he is elected he would encompass and incorporate all the diverse views and opinions without any prejudice.
Meanwhile, Shailaja Acharya, another speaker at the inaugural function, said the Nepali Congress is facing an unusual situation and this convention should give new energy and new direction to the party.
She contradicted with Sher Bahadur Deuba’s claim that he could solve the party’s problems.
“Only if he had given an alternative and credible means to solve the country’s problems, all of us would have supported him,” Acharya said.
She even hinted that it was during Deuba’s tenure as the head of the coalition government the anomalies like ‘Pajero culture’ and horse-trading of the MPs had started.
The controversy within the party is not for policy and ideology but of the norms and the values and for sharing of power. “If this convention cannot address these issues, the future of Nepali Congress could be at stake,” said Acharya.
At the inaugural function, foreign invitees, which included Minister for Local Development of Bangladesh, Minister for Forest and Environment of Sri Lanka, Vice Chairman of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party, Vice President of the Socialist Janata Party of India and former Secretary General of the Socialist International gave their best wishes for the success of the NC’s General Convention.
Similarly, leaders of different political parties-Jhalanath Khanal of CPN-UML, the main opposition party in the parliament, President of RPP Surya Bahadur Thapa, General Secretary of CPN-ML Bamdev Gautam and Vice President of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party Rameshwore Yadav also gave their best wishes for the success of the General Convention.
Arjun Narsingh K.C., Chief of NC’s foreign relation department read out the names of various leaders and individuals who sent their greetings to the NC for its 10th General Convention.
Coordinator of the main organising committee and the district president of the Congress in Kaski, Sukra Raj Sharma delivered a welcome speech, saying this convention is being held at the most testing time of the Nepali Congress. A one-minute silence was also observed at the inaugural function as a mark of honour to the martyrs who had laid their lives for democracy.
Meanwhile, the first closed door session of the convention has been postponed till tomorrow morning.