STOP GROUPISM
The Kathmandu Post
Mar 13, 2016-
Finally, Sher
Bahadur Deuba fulfilled his dream of becoming the party president of the Nepali
Congress (NC) in his third attempt by defeating Ram Chandra Poudel by a wide
margin in the recent election at the party’s general convention (GC) (‘Deuba
defeats Poudel’, March 8, Page 1). Deuba, who has already served as Nepal’s
prime minister three times in the past, has gained ample experience in running
the government. However, there are many challenges facing him in the days to
come given the factional politics within the NC. It is yet to be seen how he
will manage and run his party at a time when a new and controversial
constitution has to be implemented.
The NC should now
leave behind its factional politics and move ahead united to face the political
challenges. In the past, it has made a number of political blunders due to its
factional politics, leading the country towards political instability. Its
senior leaders have played egoistic and self-centred politics that has even caused
the party to split in the past. The breakaway party was headed by Sher Bahadur
Deuba back in 2002. The two reunited in 2007 after realising the importance of
having a single and strong party. If its senior leaders continue to play
factional politics, the NC will definitely lose its charm among its voters.
It seemed that the NC cadres wanted to see the Central Working Committee consisting of members from both the factions in order to end the rivalry within the party by electing Shashank Koirala and Sita Devi Yadav from the so-called establishment faction as the general secretary and treasurer respectively (‘Shashank new gen secy on back of BP’s legacy’, March 9, Page 1). In the meantime, it will be interesting to see whether the NC will continue its role as an opposition party in Parliament or start playing the game of bringing down the Oli-led government. One of the senior leaders of the coalition government has been publicly announcing that the new government will be formed soon after the NC’s GC. It now depends all on Deuba’s next move to determine the NC’s political strategy in the days to come.
Maharajgunj
