The Central Working Committee meeting of the Nepali Congress has entrusted its parliamentary board to select the candidates for the upcoming National Assembly elections. This decision came as the three-day central meet of the ruling party concluded on Saturday.

The party will follow the candidate selection criteria that are almost final, said Min Bishwakarma, head of the party's publicity department.

The criteria will prefer Congress members who have not had similar opportunities before, those who have contributed to the party for long, and people of deprived communities that are not well represented, he said. A vast majority of the central committee members cautioned the party leadership not to repeat old faces and give chances to new ones in the Assembly.

Most of the members speaking at the meeting criticised the poor performance of the government, including the roles of Congress ministers. Some even called for a review of the constitution promulgated in 2015.

Shekhar Koirala, who lost the party president election to Sher Bahadur Deuba at the 14th general convention of the Congress, did not show up at Saturday's meeting. He was absent on Friday and Thursday, too.

The meeting also decided to draw the government’s attention to the issues of poor governance, and the lack of delivery amid mounting public frustration caused by rising prices and a dearth of income opportunities in the country.

“Show me the eight good works that you accomplished in the last eight months,” party general secretary Gagan Thapa reportedly told the party’s ministers in the Pushpa Kamal Dahal Cabinet, warning that the party could rethink their continuity in the government. He also warned party president Sher Bahadur Deuba not to agree to anything in the ruling coalition’s meeting without first discussing the agenda in the party. Thapa suggested that the party launch a nationwide campaign to create jobs.

“We have to launch missions for education and health too, not only be on a mission to win elections. We should be mindful of people’s livelihoods as the largest party and the one leading governments at all three levels,” Thapa reportedly told the meeting.

As many as 12 central working committee members of the Nepali Congress submitted a memorandum to the party president, urging him to field new faces in the upcoming Assembly elections.

They urged Deuba to stop repeating the same old faces who often got opportunities in governance and lawmaking in the past. Those submitting the memorandum are Govinda Bhattarai, Kalyan Gurung, Kiran Poudel, and Umesh Jung Rayamaji, among others. Some senior Congress leaders who repeatedly got opportunities in the party and the government in past such as Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Gopal Man Shrestha, and Ananda Prasad Dhungana, among others, want to be elected to the upper house in the election next month.

The party had solicited names from its provincial committees for the Assembly vote. The seven provinces have recommended 21,00 names in total, according to Thapa. “We have only nine seats. At last, the president will take out names [of candidates] from his coat pocket,” he said.

On the last day of the meet, some leaders raised the issue of amending the constitution. Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak said Congress leaders were of the view that the charter could be amended without affecting its basic principles and tenets. They also called for a review of the constitution’s implementation in the past eight years. The Nepali Congress should take a lead in the process, he demanded. His proposal was supported by leaders including Sitaula.

Pradeep Poudel, another central working committee member, said the government has failed to achieve any notable progress so there is nothing to tell the general public in support of the government.

The party is all set to launch the “community with Nepali Congress” campaign in all 77 districts. Poudel said the people would have no answers for people who might question the party’s performance in government.

“If the government fails to deliver, we will be wiped out in the next elections. The Nepali Congress should come up with a clear roadmap, strategy, and policy. In the present situation, I cannot defend the party,” said Poudel.

Central member Arzu Rana Deuba, who is the spouse of the party chief, said that leaders had failed to create hope among the youths. The young generation had become aggressive towards political leaders, parties and the government, she expressed her view at the meeting.

“Leaders are making speeches against the present political system, fuelling public frustration. We have been saying publicly that nothing has happened in this country, the system has failed to deliver, parties have failed and all leaders are thieves and liars,” she said, stressing the need for words and actions to instil hope in the young population.

Leader Arjun Narsingh KC warned that if the government and major parties cannot ensure good governance, the people would seek an alternative to the existing order.

“Time has come for stopping [this] lawlessness, disorder, and chaos. As many as 3,000 youths are going abroad and the bodies of 2 to 4 Nepalis are also arriving daily,” said KC. Friday’s death of two youths in a clash with police in Lalitpur is of grave concern, he remarked. “If we do not understand what it signifies, this will cause a huge damage,” KC warned.

Goma Bhattarai, another central committee member, said that Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha should resign over the killings of the two youths.

Another member Sita Rana demanded a fair probe into the incident and punishment for the culprits.