Banking News – The 15th General Convention of the Nepali Congress is being held today afternoon at Khulla Manch. All preparations for the General Convention, which will run until Ashoj 22, have been completed. According to the General Convention schedule, the inaugural session is today, Ashoj 18, closed sessions on Ashoj 19 and 20, and the election process on Ashoj 21 and 22.

Due to continuous rainfall across the country, the General Convention, originally scheduled for Ashoj 16, is beginning today. General Convention representatives from home and abroad are continuing to arrive in Kathmandu to participate. The 15 various committees formed for General Convention preparations have been making their respective preparations. A grand stage has been constructed at the inaugural venue, Khulla Manch. Party Spokesperson Devraj Chalise informed that separate large halls have been built at Khulla Manch itself for conducting closed sessions. A media center and primary health treatment center have been established at the General Convention venue.

The Accommodation Management Committee has arranged accommodation coordination for General Convention representatives of the respective geographies by appointing one coordinator each from every constituency, district, and province. Accommodation has been arranged in the Airport, Gaushala, Sundhara, Thamel, Lazimpat, Kalanki, and New Buspark areas. Participants will receive information about this through WhatsApp, AI number, and SMS. The Accommodation Management Committee has stated that arrangements for morning, afternoon, and evening meals have been made at Bhrikutimandap. Similarly, according to the Central Election Committee, approximately 7,700 General Convention representatives will participate in this General Convention. This is the first time in the history of the Congress that such a large number of General Convention representatives have been elected.

Inauguration and Closed Session at the Same Venue

Along with the inauguration of the Congress 15th General Convention, the closed session will also be held at Khulla Manch, Kathmandu. The structure has been built accordingly to manage a large number of representatives. The schedule includes separate reports to be presented by the President, Vice President, General Secretary, and Treasurer at the closed session. Three large structures have been prepared for the closed sessions of the General Convention at Khulla Manch. This arrangement has been made with the objective of systematically involving a large number of representatives. The halls where discussions will be held have been named Himal, Pahad, and Tarai-Madhesh.

Discussions on the report will be held in three separate halls by forming groups based on geography. Spokesperson Chalise stated that participants will be able to hear and view the presented report through digital boards in each hall. The leadership of various political parties has been invited to the inaugural session. Rabi Lamichhane, Chairman of Rastriya Swatantra Party; KP Sharma Oli, Chairman of CPN (UML); Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda), Chairman of Nepal Communist Party; Rajendra Lingden, Chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party; Upendra Yadav, Chairman of Janata Samajwadi Party; Chandrakant Raut, Chairman of Janamat Party; Aren Rai, General Secretary of Shram Sanskriti Party; and Ghanashyam Poudel, Acting General Secretary on behalf of Rastriya Janamorcha, will participate in the inaugural program.

Among international guests, Chantal Kambiwa, Executive Coordinator of Socialist International, and other guests have already arrived in Nepal to participate in the General Convention.

15th General Convention at Historic Site

The party’s 15th General Convention is being held at the site where Congress founder and first popularly elected Prime Minister BP Koirala made his first public address after returning home from exile.

It was at the same Tundikhel that another Congress founding leader Ganeshman Singh proclaimed the success of the 2046 BS People’s Movement for ending autocratic rule. The inaugural session will be inaugurated by President Gagan Kumar Thapa, and addresses will be given by top Congress leaders as well as top leaders of major political parties of the country at the inaugural session.

Spokesperson Chalise said:

“This is also a historic General Convention because 44 thousand youth of the new generation have come into responsibility through the General Convention process, and more than seven thousand representatives selected with them are participating.”

This General Convention is being held after the Congress’s second Special General Convention held from Poush 28 to Magh 3 last year.

Simple Publicity Style Without Fanfare

The party has stated that the Congress will not engage in fanfare publicity at this General Convention, as the country is in mourning due to the natural disaster in the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa on Bhadau 10. Except for one main gate at the program venue, no other publicity materials have been hung in the cities and markets. Apart from this, General Convention-related notices and messages have been disseminated through only about 100 “digital boards” in major cities and markets including the Kathmandu Valley. The party has also requested fellow candidates in the General Convention elections to use only digital means of publicity. The party has also adopted a policy of environment-friendly publicity.

The Election Committee has stated that flamboyant and ostentatious publicity is completely prohibited, and any kind of ostentatious publicity campaigns have been prohibited to make the General Convention dignified, economical, and disciplined, respecting the post-disaster situation.

“There is a complete ban on print and physical publicity materials, and placing, pasting, or distributing flex, banners, posters, pamphlets, or any other kind of printed publicity materials at the General Convention venue and any surrounding areas is also prohibited,” said Raju Katuwal, Member-Secretary of the Committee. According to the Election Committee, nomination papers of candidates will be registered at the National Assembly Hall in Kathmandu from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM on Monday, Ashoj 19. All central General Convention representative members and persons eligible to become candidates from the General Convention can register nomination papers within the designated time.

According to the new arrangement, the Congress Central Working Committee will be 232 members. There is a provision for 171 elected and 61 nominated by the President. This time, the number of Deputy General Secretaries in the Congress has been increased from eight to 11. A provision has been made for election from inclusive groups as well as nomination by the President.

Parking Arrangements at Eight Locations

The Transport Management Committee has stated that arrangements have been made at eight different locations for parking vehicles for participants and representatives coming to the General Convention venue.

For representatives coming to participate in the General Convention, parking has been designated at the Dharahara underground parking, the Salt Trading parking site next to Baggikhana, the old Buspark area, the outer one-lane road of Bhrikutimandap, the National Assembly parking, the Pragya Pratishthan site, and the parking site of Annapurna Hotel at Durbar Marg, informed Bijay Bahadur Swanr, Coordinator of the committee.

“Similarly, coordination has been made with the Traffic Police and District Police Range Kathmandu to allow parking on a section of the road between Maitighar Mandala and Bhadrakali for large buses bringing General Convention representatives from outside the Kathmandu Valley,” said Coordinator Swanr. There will be a fee at the Dharahara underground parking and Annapurna Hotel parking site, while other places will be free.

‘Health Desk’ with Health Workers

A health desk with 30 health workers has been prepared at the General Convention. Health services will be provided to General Convention representatives through the health desk. According to Dr. Kedarnarsingh Kc, Coordinator of the Health Committee under the General Convention Organizing Committee, a “health desk” has been set up on the western side of Khulla Manch, where the General Convention venue is located, for health services. General health examinations and emergency services will be provided through the health desk, which will have five stalls.

Stating that the “health desk” will operate in two shifts, he said:

“There will be eight doctors, paramedics, and nurses at the desk, and blood pressure checks, sugar tests, paracetamol, drinking water, and medicines used for wounds and injuries will be provided free of cost.”

Similarly, arrangements have been made at the nearby Bir Hospital, National Trauma Center, and BP Smriti Hospital in Basundhara for taking representatives for immediate emergency treatment if needed. For that, two ambulances will be kept on standby at the General Convention venue itself.

From Youth to ‘Lateral Entry’

Some important aspects are being done differently in this General Convention. Implementing the amendments made to the statute by the last Special General Convention, this time new practices are being adopted from representation of youth, women, and various communities to the General Convention operation and publicity style. This time, the Congress has made an arrangement for guaranteed representation of youth under 35 years in the party’s leadership structure. A provision has been made in the statute itself to increase youth participation from ward to center.

Similarly, 21 youth members under 35 years will be elected to the Central Working Committee. An arrangement has been made to bring youth into central leadership from provincial and open groups. An arrangement has been made to ensure at least one-third representation of women in various levels of working committees of the Congress. This has set the goal of increasing women’s participation from ward to center.

Similarly, a path has been opened to bring into the party’s main leadership not only activists active in politics for a long time but also individuals who have gained expertise in various professions, businesses, and fields. Under this same arrangement, seven central members will be elected.

A provision has been made for electing six central members from among General Convention representatives coming from Nepali Public Relations Committees. This will give formal space in the central structure to Nepalis associated with the Congress abroad. An arrangement has also been made to ensure representation of persons with disabilities, minorities, and backward areas in the Central Committee. Similarly, representation of workers, democracy fighters, martyr families, and conflict victims has also been ensured.

The Congress had planned to use an electronic voting system, but due to technical and managerial reasons, it has decided to go with the traditional voting system at the last moment. Along with leadership selection, priority has also been given to debate on the party’s future political direction, organizational reform, and the role of the new generation at the General Convention.