The Nepali Congress Central Election Committee has reiterated that individuals vying for central positions in the party’s upcoming 15th General Convention cannot simultaneously contest elections for provincial or district committees.
Raju Katuwal, member secretary of the Nepali Congress Central Election Committee, issued a notice reminding potential candidates of the rule. The party’s statute explicitly states that a person who has competed in an election at one level cannot be a candidate for any committee position at a higher or lower level during the same period. This means any candidate for a central post in the 15th General Convention will be ineligible to run in subsequent provincial or district committee elections. The committee also reminded that ex-officio General Convention representatives, including those from sister organisations and well-wishing institutions, are not permitted to run for any central committee position.
15th General Convention Schedule and Participation
The 15th General Convention of the Nepali Congress is scheduled to take place from Ashoj 18 to 22 (BS) at Khulamanch, an open ground in Kathmandu. The inaugural ceremony will commence at 2 PM on Ashoj 18. The Central Election Committee has set the nomination registration for candidates at the Rastriya Sabha Griha, the National Assembly Hall, from 2 PM to 6 PM on Ashoj 19, which is a Monday. The actual election program is slated for Ashoj 21 and 22.
Approximately 7,500 delegates are expected to participate, with 7,028 already confirmed. The previous 14th General Convention, held in Mangsir 2078 (BS), saw 4,743 delegates. The convention’s opening date was postponed by two days from Ashoj 16 to Ashoj 18 due to heavy rainfall affecting regional conventions and delegate selection in various parts of the country.
Factional Dispute and Parallel Convention
The Nepali Congress is currently grappling with a legitimacy dispute, which is pending before the Supreme Court, Nepal’s apex court. While the establishment faction initiated the General Convention process on Ashoj 3 (BS), former Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s faction had argued against holding the convention until the court dispute was resolved. Deuba’s faction has submitted a separate schedule to the Election Commission, proposing to start ward conventions from Ashoj 15 (BS) and hold their central General Convention from Mangsir 21-23 (BS).
Next Steps and Committee Structure
Delegate registration for the ongoing convention is scheduled for Ashoj 16 and 17 (BS). The closed session and other programs will run on Ashoj 19 and 20 (BS). A committee led by General Secretary Pradip Paudel is working on statute amendments, with proposals for changes to be presented during the closed session. The 14th General Convention elected 13 office-bearers, including one president, two vice-presidents, two general secretaries, and eight joint general secretaries, excluding the treasurer. The 15th General Convention will elect a 231-member Central Working Committee. The decision on whether to increase the number of office-bearers or maintain the current structure will be finalised during the closed session. Nomination fees have been set at Rs 40,000 for the central president, Rs 30,000 for vice-presidents and general secretaries, Rs 20,000 for joint general secretaries, and Rs 11,000 for central members.
Unresolved Issues
The ultimate outcome of the Nepali Congress’s legitimacy dispute, currently before the Supreme Court, remains unclear. Similarly, how the conflict between the two factions will be resolved, especially with Deuba’s faction pursuing a parallel convention process, is uncertain. The final decision on the number of office-bearers for the new central committee is yet to be made, and it is not clear if this will be settled by consensus or through an election. Furthermore, the completion timeline for regional conventions and delegate selection processes that were affected by heavy rainfall in some constituencies is still pending.
