The Nepali Congress (NC) Mahasamiti meeting concluded on Sunday by unanimously endorsing the draft amendment of party statute. The meeting has entrusted the Central Working Committee with the responsibility to incorporate the suggestions made by the Mahasamiti meeting.

The party leaders, who were trading barbs at each other at the beginning of the meeting, put aside their differences to send out a message of unity during the closing ceremony.

The leaders claimed the party statute endorsed by the Mahasamiti made the Congress one of the most inclusive parties in the world with representation of all the ethnic groups and communities.

At the conclusion of the Mahasamiti meeting, NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba and senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel said there was no dispute in the party and will strive for a nationwide campaign.

The meeting also endorsed the party’s political and economic documents, organisational proposal for the post of party general secretary, and the treasurer.

The party also issued a 15-point proposal on the current situation of the country, claiming that the Nepal Communist Party-led government has institutionalised corruption in the country through massive misuse of state resources.  

“The current government has been trying to centralise the power. The government’s initiative to draft a law to select developer for projects above Rs50 billion without competitive bidding is highly objectionable,” read the document. Coming down heavily upon the government’s controversial decision to award the Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project by overturning the erstwhile Deuba-led government’s decision to build the project with domestic investment, the Congress has demanded the government scrap the decision immediately.

The party has also demanded the government conduct a high-level probe into the alleged irregularities during the purchase of wide-body aircraft for Nepal Airlines Corporation. “We have strong reservations over the government’s move to sweep various scandals, including sugar and gold smuggling under the carpet and demand a fair investigation into the cases and action against those found guilty,” read the party’s document.

The NC said it believes in religious freedom and religious tolerance and has equal respect for all the religious. “We strongly believe that the constitutional provision on religious freedom should be implemented in letter and spirit and anyone involved in converting anyone into their religious fold or the action meant to disturb other religion should be liable to action,” read the document.

The Mahasamiti meeting took exception to the KP Sharma Oli-led government’s direct involvement in a religious programme organised by a controversial non-government organisation. The party has warned the government to abstain from such activities.

Claiming that the current Oli administration was elected to power through extreme misuse of the slogan of nationalism, the NC said the recent activities of the government reflects its submissive attitude.

“Black marketeering, inflation, excessive interest rate and double and triple taxation and increasing illegal activities have thrived in the country, thereby deteriorating the investment climate in the country,” the party said in the document.

The Mahasamiti meeting that started on December 15 was extended by three days due to a row over the party charter—mainly the number of office bearers and the modality of their election. The leaders finally agreed on 14 office bearers.