After several postponements, a powerful political committee meeting of the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal got under way in the Capital on Monday.

The initiation of the meeting has raised expectations among leaders that the pending issues of the party, including the date of its national convention and joining government, would be sorted out.

On Monday, Coordinator of the presidium Mahantha Thakur briefed the leaders about the agenda to be discussed during the meeting that may go on for several days.

On joining the government, Thakur said that Prime Minister KP Oli had been inviting the RJP-N to come on board but he had not clarified about addressing the issues raised by the Madhes-centric party. “Therefore, I have urged fellow RJP-N leaders to come up with their views on it,” Thakur said.

Responding to the proposal, leader Rajendra Mahato, however, said the RJP-N would not join the government without statute amendment, administration of oath to Resham Chaudhary and withdrawal of all cases against the party’s leaders and cadres.

On the Election Commission’s letter, leaders said the party should seek six month’s time from the poll to hold the convention and start preparations accordingly. In another letter, the EC has asked the RJP-N to ensure the inclusiveness within its committees.

Mahato criticised the leadership for failing to select the parliamentary party leader, but claimed an election to the parliamentary party could resolve the issue after finalising its statute. He also proposed the meeting to adopt a provision to finalise major issues.

As well as finalising the leadership positions, the meeting needs to endorse the party’s statute. The RJP-N, which was formed last year with the merger of six fringe parties, had registered with the EC, promising that it would finalise the office bearers through national convention within a year. It had opted the system of presidium with a provision that would allow six chairpersons lead the party on rota.

The party has a six-member presidium and 133-member office bearers. It has a co-chairman, eight senior vice-chairs and 28 vice-chairps, 31 general secretaries 29 joint general secretaries 22 secretaries and nine treasurers.

After a brief discussion lasting around one and a half hours, Monday’s meeting was also postponed for Tuesday citing the meeting of the federal parliament.