The ongoing CWC meeting is likely to be put off for a few days after the remaining five CWC members voice their opinions at Thursday´s meeting if the package deal is not agreed by then. [break]
Both the Koirala and Deuba factions in the party have agreed in principle not to go for voting as this would push the party towards serious division in the days ahead.
According to a senior leader close to Koirala, they have agreed to ensure balanced representation of leaders close to Deuba while constituting the party´s Parliamentary Board and various departments within the party, and while nominated CWC members and the remaining post of joint general-secretary in the party office bearers´ body.
“We will settle the row over nomination of the party vice president and general-secretary in consensus,” said the senior leader, asking to be unnamed. “We are currently in negotiations. We will formalize the deal soon.”
NC President Koirala is yet to nominate 20 out of a total 21 CWC members in the party´s 85-member CWC body. He has already nominated senior leader Deuba, who was defeated in the presidential poll, as a CWC member.
On Wednesday afternoon, CWC members close to Deuba held a meeting at the International Club at Sanepa to discuss strategy with regard to Koirala´s nomination of Ram Chandra Poudel as vice president and Krishna Sitaula as general-secretary.
Though a majority of CWC members close to the Deuba faction suggested during the meeting that they go for voting as a disgruntled Sujata Koirala, Arjun Narsingh KC, K B Gurung and even Gagan Thapa are likely to vote against the duo, the Deuba faction is still inclined to settle the row in consensus.
Talking to media persons after the CWC meeting Wednesday, Sujata Koirala and KC publicly announced that they would cast their votes against the president´s nominations should they need to go for a vote at all.
Nevertheless, the Deuba faction reckons that even if they manage to garner the majority in a vote for party vice president and general-secretary they will have to remain in a minority for the remaining period of Koirala´s term as the elected party president is authorized to nominate 21 CWC members without having to get them endorsed by the CWC, as per Article 21 of the party statute.
Of the total 64 members, including the president, general-secretary and treasurer, elected directly through the general convention, the Deuba faction has a total 29 members in its fold. The faction will be in a minority even if some disgruntled CWC members in the Koirala faction choose to join the rival camp.
According to CWC member Pushpa Bhusal, altogether 11 CWC members including Bal Bahadur KC, K B Gurung, Pradip Giri, Shankar Bhandari, Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, Kabita Sardar Batar, Aamod Upadhyaya, Ram Kumar Chaudhary, Bhisma Angdembe, Khum Bahadur Khadka and Surendra Raj Pandey took part in the deliberations at Wednesday´s meeting.
Most leaders other than Bal Bahadur KC, Kabita Sardar and Aamod Prasad Upadhyaya stressed the need to bring a nomination proposal in consensus.
However, the three CWC members argued that the president´s proposal should be endorsed unanimously as he had already brought the proposal before the CWC. Other CWC members including Giri argued that a vote to elect the vice president and general-secretary would virtually lead the party toward a split.
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