NC’s 13th general convention must ensure dynamic leadership and result-oriented policy for change (Commentary)

Krishna Sapkota / Kathmandu: The 13th general convention of Nepali Congress (NC) – the largest party in the parliament – is at the threshold awaiting a week to chart out a new course ahead with the election of a fresh leadership.

Before coming to this stage, the party has gone through an enduring democratic and bottom-up exercise in electing its grassroots level representatives from each ward and then general convention delegates from each electoral constituency across the country. With the party rank and file getting into the most crucial event of picking a new leadership from the base and charting out noble party policy, the general convention has now been witnessing a heated public debate as to who will take the helm of a democratic party with a seven-decade-long history.

However, to the contrary, the policy debate within the party has been put to the back burner this time around with more focus on ascent to leadership. Leadership issue is of course a significant part of a party’s life. However, the leadership should be guided by a policy since it determines the future direction of the party and drives the leadership to set and deliver the set agenda.

The Nepali Congress party has been in the forefront of political struggle for the cause of democracy, pluralism, human rights and rule of law since its establishment in 1946. The party has also spearheaded all historical struggles against autocratic regimes for civil liberties and bandwagon democratic socialism as its ideology for socio-economic transformation. Lately, the NC spearheaded the peace-building and constitution-making process by bringing the then rebel force, Maoists, into political mainstream. The peace process has finally settled with the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal, framed by the people-elected Constituent Assembly for the first time in the history some five months back. NC was in the driving seat in bringing to a logical end the first generation political issues of Nepal that dated back to the People’s Movement against the Rana Regime in 1950 to conclusion of peace process in 2015.

Meanwhile, it is visibly evident that the country has paid a price to come up with a new statute, enduring a staggering loss of human and physical capital in and aftermath of 25 April 2016 earthquake and bearing the brunt of the Madhes unrest and India’s unofficial blockade. With this in the background, there are several questions that NC will have to respond in the crucial moment of its general convention. And some of the questions are does the policy/programme of NC prepared for deliberations in its 13th general convention respond to the present context and help pull the country out of the riddles? What is its position on the dwindling economic status of the country that has put citizens’ lives in peril? How Nepal can sustain its hard-earned peace and constitution and manage its diversity? What are its strategic actions plans to keep its values and link them to put Nepal in the path to competitive progress in regional and global arena?

Ironically though the NC policy document is not likely to delve into such agenda-specific issues and keep its relevance based on the agenda and values. “The policy document should adequately deal the burning problems of the country –implementation of the constitutional provisions, addressing Madhes unrest and management of relations with India for long-term peace and prosperity”, said Kumar Regmi, who is aspiring to contest for party central committee membership from Province No.1.

He argued that the policy document of the party should be reached to the leaders and cadres in the grassroots before ward/village level convention. “Our convention was merely meant to elect representatives and leaders rather not to prepare policy on time and debate on it from the bottom– the important aspect to keep party alive and relevant”, he added, noting that it has eroded the party’s strengths.

Up to the 13th general convention the party has spent much of its energy in managing political issues giving less priority to economic transformation. “A decade long people’s war and another decade of transition have broken down our fundamental rural economy and governance. So, the party policy document should seriously review the losses and carve a vision to revive the country’s entrepreneurship and innovations in a bid to neutralize the damages and revive economic sources”, said Prof Dr Govind Raj Pokharel, former Vice-Chairperson of National Planning Commission.

Dr Pokharel, also the Mahasamiti member of the NC from Pyuthan district, said the party’s policy document should envisage efforts towards attaining the objective of inclusive prosperity through wider domestic and foreign investment in course of the implementation of the new constitution.

Voicing concern over the failure of the party to consult its party wings on matters relating to the official policy document, President of Nepal Women Association – a sister organization of the NC – Dr Dila Sangraula noted that it should touch upon the issues of all classes, groups and sections of society irrespective of gender, caste, economy and other status. “The party should make its position clear on its outlook to other political parties. It has to make public its stance on foreign policy and international relations, she insisted.

The issues of enabling and empowering weaker section and marginalized groups, resolving deepening unemployment problems and its consequences and providing energy to the implementation of the constitution, among others, are pressing needs to be addressed, she said, adding the NC policy should bear the situation in mind and come out with convincing solutions.

A higher post involves higher risks. So is the situation with NC now being the oldest and largest political force carrying the potential to drive the country’s much needed transformation. The policy document is still under revision with inputs from NC central committee members. At least it has to lay emphasis on keeping every avenues open for advancing the country towards the path of stability, peace and prosperity by institutionalizing all the past achievements. Let the NC’s 13th general convention yield something concrete – a dynamic leadership and a result-oriented policy – to drive the agenda for change. RSS