The call for a Special Convention has resurfaced in the Nepali Congress after the proposed regular 15th general convention of the party became uncertain.

After a month-long deliberation, a central working committee meeting of the party on December 1 had decided to organise the 15th general convention from January 10 to 12. To meet the January 10 deadline, the party needed to complete several technical tasks, including distribution of active membership and holding the local and provincial conventions.

After procedural setbacks in completing tasks related to active membership distribution and local conventions, now it is highly likely that the scheduled general convention will be postponed.

Amid these delays, supporters of a special convention have revived their demand, and submitted a memorandum at the party headquarters on Friday. Earlier, on October 15, as many as 54 percent (2,488) elected representatives of the party had demanded a special convention and submitted a memorandum to the party.

Receiving the memorandum of understanding on Friday, Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa said there is now no alternative to holding a special general convention.

“Since the regular general convention cannot be held, the only option left is to move towards a special general convention,” said Thapa.

As per the Congress charter, the party can call a special convention within three months of receiving a petition.

“Based on the submission of signatures on October 15, holding a special convention within three months or by mid-January, is now compulsory,” Thapa said.

The party’s another general secretary, Bishwa Prakash Sharma, echoed Thapa’s stance.

“If the 15th general convention were to go ahead on schedule, this demand would have been meaningless. Now, a special general convention is unavoidable,” he said.

Thapa also said he would inform the party’s acting president, Purna Bahadur Khadka, about the memorandum during the ongoing meeting of the central work execution committee.

Sharma added that it is the responsibility of the central working committee and the work execution committee to comply with the party statute and schedule a special general convention.

On Friday, supporters of the special general convention submitted the memorandum to the chief secretary at the Congress head office, Krishna Prasad Poudel. The memorandum was then received by the two general secretaries, Thapa and Sharma.

“None of us is above the party statute. No one has the privilege of ignoring the statute,” General Secretary Thapa said.

According to Article 17(2) of the Congress statute, if 40 percent of the general convention delegates submit written signatures, a special general convention must be held within three months.

“On this demand, the ongoing work execution committee meeting must take an appropriate decision and move forward,” Sharma said on Friday.

If the party's central working committee cannot meet regularly, the party calls a meeting of the central work execution committee and takes the necessary decisions.