The parliamentary party’s statute, which was unanimously approved by the party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) on Friday, provides that parliamentary party members will elect the leader. The statute also states that the parliamentary leader will nominate a deputy leader. However, the nomination of the deputy leader has to be endorsed by the parliamentary party.
The NC’s parliamentary party statute has come into effect after a meeting of the CWC, held at its central office in Sanepa, unanimously approved it Friday.
The NC leadership had been facing strong criticism for its failure to follow democratic procedure while selecting its parliamentary party leader. Earlier, the party without holding election had forwarded to the Constituent Assembly secretariat the name of party president Girija Prasad Koirala as parliamentary party leader. Party leaders including Narahari Acharya had strongly criticized the decision as undemocratic.
“We completed one of our major points in the agenda by endorsing the parliamentary party statute. We have yet to finalize many other issues including party’s next general convention,” said NC spokesperson Arjun Narsingh KC.
Bikash Karki
Following the endorsement of the statute, all 114 NC lawmakers will participate in a vote to select their parliamentary party leader.
While addressing the issues of inclusiveness, raised by women leader in the party, the statute has set a mandatory provision of electing at least one woman to any of the four major posts — leader, deputy leader, chief whip and whip — in the parliamentary party.
For the first time, the NC has provisioned that women, dalit, Madhesi, members of indigenous groups and marginalized groups will have their equal representation in the 27-member working committee of the parliamentary party.
The NC CWC meeting is currently discussing the progressive reports, presented by party´s various committees. Party spokesperson KC said the meeting will also discuss date for the party´s next general convention. The meeting will continue Saturday.
