Koiralas oppose collective headship

Prakash Acharya

KATHMANDU: Sushil Koirala, acting president, Nepali Congress (NC), on Friday came down heavily on the proposed collective leadership in the party's ongoing Central Committee (CC) meeting.

His views are in agreement with his cousin Girija Prasad Koirala, president, NC, on this issue. As of now, only around six CC members out of nearly 60 have thrown their lot behind the Koiralas, who want to persist with the present model.

The first family of NC feels that that the party must not adopt the collective leadership. However, their detractors within the party want to take up this model to restructure and rejuvenate the grand old political outfit. The CC is the most powerful body in the NC.

Since today's CC meeting failed to come to a consensus over the issue, it is likely to be deliberated during the three-day Mahasamiti meeting, which begins here on Sunday. The Mahasamiti, which boasts of 1,250 members, is the second most powerful body of the party. Senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba did not take part in discussions on this issue.

"CC members took note of the absence of senior leaders in the meeting over the past two days. Even Deuba failed to show his leadership quality. He seemed to have played truant intentionally," said another CC member.

Girija Prasad Koirala was also criticised for his absence. Sushil Koirala backed the present system, where the president nominates all office bearers and 50 percent of the CC members.