National
In NC meeting, Poudel, Deuba trade barbs over poll outcome
The Nepali Congress on Thursday organised a gathering of senior leaders, central working committee members, parliamentarians and local leaders of Province 2 to discuss the party’s strategy for the third round of local elections scheduled for September 18 in Province 2.The Nepali Congress on Thursday organised a gathering of senior leaders, central working committee members, parliamentarians and local leaders of Province 2 to discuss the party’s strategy for the third round of local elections scheduled for September 18 in Province 2.
As leaders sat down for discussion, dismal performance in the two phases of local elections burst onto the scene, with different factions charging each other with sabotage.
Senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel accused party President Sher Bahadur Deuba of promoting nepotism and favouritism, which he said led to party’s poor showing in the elections.
Poudel and some other senior leaders said party had to pay the price of internal non-cooperation and factional feud and that there was sabotage from within.
“I would like to bring to party president’s notice that we got defeated by the CPN-UML because of saboteurs within our party,” said Poudel, referring to Deuba’s choice of candidates as well as some leaders’ tendency to put individual interest above the party. “Is our party president going to take responsibility for the poor showing in the elections? Will he initiate action against the saboteurs?”
Shashank Koirala and Krishna Prasad Sitaula then joined the chorus.
NC President Deuba, already on the defensive for his failure to fill key positions in the party even more than a year after taking the party helm and expand the Cabinet even more than a month after becoming the prime minister, said he agreed with some of Poudel’s statements like the party faced a debacle due to saboteurs. He, however, was quick to point out what he called “internal non-cooperation” for the party’s debacle.
The NC, the largest party in Parliament, stood second in the two phases of local elections with wins in 226 local units, while the UML registered victories in 276 local units. “Those [leaders] who approached me for tickets claimed that they were definitely going to win. How come we faced the defeat then?” Deuba wondered.
He, however, pledged to take action against those who worked against the party’s interest.
Poudel on his part went on to catalogue the mistakes and lapses on Deuba’s part, saying various decisions in the government as well as in the party were not made
prudently.
“We had been demanding fair and transparent decision-making process—be it the issue of ambassadorial appointment or selection of chief of Nepal Police or ticket distribution,” said Poudel. “This time, the party should distribute tickets in Province 2 on the basis of leaders’ capability and contribution in the party. Candidates must be picked on the basis of their acumen in local issues.”
A cornered Deuba announced that he would form a discipline committee soon and that saboteurs would be shown the door.