Nepali Congress set to hold 15th General Convention at Khulamanch

Kathmandu, Oct 3: The Nepali Congress (NC), the country’s oldest democratic political party, is set to hold its 15th general convention at the historic Khulamanch in Kathmandu. The convention will be inaugurated at 2:00 pm on Sunday.

Khulamanch, an open-air theatre, has long been associated with Nepal’s democratic movement. It was also the venue where party founder and Nepal’s first democratically elected Prime Minister BP Koirala delivered his first public address after returning home from exile.

Khulamanch also witnessed another historic moment when NC leader and another party founder Ganeshman Singh declared the success of the 1990 People’s Movement, which brought an end to the partyless Panchayat system.

NC President Gagan Kumar Thapa will inaugurate the convention. Senior NC leaders and leaders of other major political parties are also scheduled to address the inaugural session. At a press conference on Saturday, NC spokesperson Devraj Chalise expressed confidence that the convention would be historic, noting that more than 44,000 young people had assumed responsibilities through the convention process.

According to Chalise, more than 7,000 elected representatives will participate in the national gathering. The convention is being held following the party’s second special general convention, which took place from January 12 to 17 this year.

For the first time, the NC’s Central Working Committee will include representatives below the age of 35. The committee will also have representation from democracy fighters, workers, professional groups and Nepalis living abroad. The main slogan of the convention is “Energetic Congress, New Resolution.”

Chalise said extensive discussions would be held on the new resolution and a roadmap would be prepared for its implementation. “The convention will elect leadership capable of implementing these commitments. Its overall effort will focus on establishing rules and systems within the Nepali Congress,” he said.

Stating that the NC had made history several times in Nepal’s political development, Chalise said the party was preparing to create another milestone. “The BP ideology will be established as a foundation for the nation’s prosperity,” he said. According to the party office, general convention representatives from various parts of the country and abroad are continuing to arrive in Kathmandu to attend the event. Around 7,500 representatives are expected to participate in the national gathering.

Registration of the general convention representatives began at the party’s central office in Sanepa on Saturday. According to the General Convention Election Committee, the registration fee has been fixed at Rs 3,500 per representative. Information regarding accommodation arrangements has been circulated through WhatsApp messages, an AI-based information number and SMS.

The inaugural session will be held on Sunday, while the closed session is scheduled for Monday, October 5. The party president, vice-president, general secretary and treasurer will present separate reports at the national gathering. Three separate panels will be formed on the basis of geographical clusters to discuss the reports.

According to spokesperson Chalise, participants in the hall will be able to access the reports through digital boards. The nomination of candidacies has been scheduled from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm on October 4 at the National City Hall. The schedule may be revised if necessary.

Parking facilities for private vehicles, including cars and motorcycles, have been arranged at Bhrikutimandap, National City Hall and the Old Bus Park area. For larger vehicles, parking has been arranged along one lane of the Maitighar-Bhadrakali road section. A media centre has also been established at the convention venue, Khulamanch, to facilitate media coverage of the 15th general convention, Chalise said.