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Deuba hastens naming party office bearers
Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has expedited the process of appointing key officer bearers for the party.Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has expedited the process of appointing key officer bearers for the party.
According to leaders close to him, Deuba is in talks with his supporters regarding the appointments.
As per party statute, the party president would appoint a vice-president, a general secretary and a joint-general secretary.
According to some NC leaders, these appointments were due within two months of party’s General Convention held in March 2016.
NC Central Working Committee (CWC) member Min Bahadur Bishakarma said intensive work has been going on for the appointments in the party.
“President Deuba is preparing to bring a proposal concerning the appointments in the CWC meeting on March 23. I think there will not be any delay in the appointments,” said Bishakarma.
Soon after the elections of House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly, Deuba appointed Bishaprakash Sharma as party spokesperson. In the NC, the spokesperson enjoys the status of office bearer in the party.
According to party sources, the aspirants for vice-president are Bimalendra Nidhi, Khum Bahadur Khadka and Gopal Man Shrestha.
Prakash Man Singh from Poudel faction is also claiming the post of vice-president.
Similarly, there is pressure on Deuba from senior leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula faction to select one from their camp. Purna Bahadur Khadka, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, Prakash Sharan Mahat, Arzoo Rana are claiming the post of general secretary. Similarly, there is a claim from Poudel and Sitaula factions for the same position, but they have not forwarded names. For Joint General Secretary, Mahendra Yadav and Min Bahadur Bishakarma, both from Deuba faction are claiming the post. A leader close to Deuba said he might pick some leaders close to Poudel and Sitaula faction.
Earlier, rival factions led by Poudel and Sitaula applied pressure on Deuba to make appointments in the party.
After the Parliamentary Party (PP) elections helped Deuba further consolidate his power, rival factions fear he would further increased his influence in the party if he makes the appointments now. They consider deferring appointments is best for them now. CWC member Nabindra Raj Joshi said they await the Party President’s proposal on the appointments.
“The party has not discussed appointments yet. We are raising the issue of party’s reformation so that new appointments conform to this spirit,” Joshi said.
The CWC meeting of NC takes place on March 23. The date for the party’s Mahasamiti meeting is likely to be announced at this meeting.
Khand is Congress chief whip
Kathmandu: Nepali Congress has appointed leader Bal Krishna Khand as the chief whip of party in the Parliament.
Party President Sher Bahadur Deuba who is also Parliamentary Party leader appointed Khand on Tuesday. Khand is close to Deuba. In parliamentary affairs, experts consider the chief whip as the second most powerful leader of a party in the parliament. Khand was elected as lawmaker under Proportional Representation (PR) category. Earlier, Deuba had appointed Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar as a deputy PP leader of the party. (PR)