Nepali Congress opens 15th convention at Khulamanch; leaders stress self-review

The 15th convention of the Nepali Congress formally opened on Sunday at Khulamanch in Kathmandu. Party president Gagan Thapa inaugurated the event by garlanding the portraits of the party's founders and senior leaders, lighting a lamp and watering a plant.

The convention, under the slogan 'Respecting tradition, pledging change', will run until Asoj 22. According to the schedule, closed-door sessions will be held on Asoj 19 and 20, and the election process on Asoj 21 and 22. The organizing committee said about 7,500 delegates from within the country and abroad are taking part. The convention started two days later than scheduled due to continuous rain.

At the inaugural session, Vice-President Pushpa Bhusal said the convention should become a venue for self-reflection, not just for distributing posts. She said Congress will stand as a strong force against those who act against good governance, the constitution and the rule of law. General Secretary Gururaj Ghimire said the leadership must find an answer to whether democracy and politics are on the right track. Bagmati Province chair Indra Baniya said Congress must change itself before it can change the country, and that a combination of three generations is needed.

The party said that, for the convention, three halls named Himal, Pahad and Terai-Madhesh have been set up in Khulamanch for the closed-door sessions. It also said that physical banners and leaflets have been banned for campaigning, and only digital media is being used.