Kathmandu [Nepal], August 15 (ANI): Former Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has called for dialogue, consensus and cooperation to end the rift in the Nepali Congress.
Addressing the national gathering of the Nepali Congress non-establishment faction that began in Kathmandu on Friday, Deuba stressed the need to transform internal disagreements into greater unity.
"The political situation of the nation stands at a sensitive and critical juncture. In such a situation, all the members of the Nepali Congress should adopt caution. Maintaining national unity plays an important role to promote and protect democracy. Disappointment is still seen in society; it needs to be changed to gratitude. Being the oldest party of the nation, the Nepali Congress needs to take initiatives for it," Deuba said.
He said the Nepali Congress had played a decisive role in Nepal's major political transformations and argued that narratives that undermine the party's historical contribution should be challenged politically.
According to him, the Congress led the movement to end "the Rana regime in 2007 BS, restore democracy in 2046 BS, guide the People's Movement of 2062/63 BS, and promulgate the Constitution in 2072 BS".
The five-time Prime Minister returned to Kathmandu after a six-month "medical exile abroad" following an attack by a mob during last September's Gen-Z protest. Months after the protest, Deuba was removed from office through a special convention called by then general secretaries Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma.
The establishment faction led by Deuba had opposed the convention, arguing it could split the party, and insisted on the regular general convention scheduled for May 2027. But at the time, Thapa and Sharma maintained that the convention was demanded by 2,488 elected representatives, more than 54 per cent of the total. Leaders backing the convention say over 60 per cent of elected delegates are participating.
The Congress statute has a provision that makes it mandatory for the party leadership to call a special general convention if at least 40 per cent of the party's elected general convention representatives demand it.
A petition signed by 53 per cent of the Nepali Congress general convention representatives was submitted at the party headquarters in mid-October 2025, seeking a special general convention and the election of a new leadership.
The special convention had convened eight weeks prior to the general election called after the dissolution of the House of Representatives following the Gen-Z revolution, which spiralled from September 8. Though the Election Commission gave legitimacy to the Gagan Thapa faction, who serves as the President of the Nepali Congress, the case concerning its legitimacy and ownership has been reopened in the Supreme Court.
Reacting to the issue for the first time since arriving back in Kathmandu after a half-year gap, Deuba accused the party of violating its rules, statute and procedures in the name of the special general convention. Saying that the matter is currently under consideration in the Supreme Court, Deuba refrained from making further comments but expressed confidence that the court would deliver justice.
"Intense conflict is brewing within the Nepali Congress. In the name of the special convention, the party's charter and system have been breached. This issue is in hearing in the Supreme Court, so I will not make any further comments on it. But I have full confidence of getting justice from the Supreme Court. Emotional unity and reconciliation within the Nepali Congress are essential. The Nepali Congress, since the struggle of 2007 BS (1950 AD) till this point of time, has endured a lot," the former Prime Minister said..
"The prolonged rift inside the party would further endanger the whole nation as well as weaken democratic values. During adverse situations and conditions, the principle of consensus and cooperation has always paved the path for reconciliation. That's why the rift that is being experienced within the party should be resolved in a way that no one feels injustice and respects everyone's feelings," he added .
Stating that the country is passing through a difficult phase politically, economically, socially and culturally, Deuba said he would work to seek solutions through the constitutional process and broader national consensus. He expressed his commitment to moving forward through extensive dialogue among democratic and national forces. According to Deuba, dialogue, consensus and cooperation must become Nepal's political culture during times of crisis. He said nationalism, democracy, socialism and the supremacy of citizens remain the guiding ideals of his political life and that he would remain committed to them until his last day.
Deuba expressed hope that the national gathering would help create an atmosphere of trust within the party and encourage greater dialogue and cooperation. He wished the Congress success in reuniting and leading the country towards prosperity while protecting Nepal's democratic system.
The former Prime Minister had flown to Singapore on February 26 ahead of the March 5 election for medical treatment. A mob that stormed Deuba's residence had beaten the now 80-year-old leader and his spouse, Arzu Rana Deuba, leaving them seriously injured.
Deuba's return and the national gathering are being viewed as significant developments amid the ongoing internal dispute within the Nepali Congress, particularly over party leadership and organisational restructuring.
Deuba's arrival comes amid the legal battle over the leadership of the Nepali Congress, which has been reopened at the Supreme Court. On April 17, the court had recognised the Gagan Thapa faction as the official Nepali Congress.
Again, in the first week of August, the Supreme Court allowed a review petition, sending the case back for a fresh hearing before a three-justice bench. The outcome of the new hearing will determine the party's official status.
The former Prime Minister is also being investigated for alleged money laundering. The investigation had begun in November last year, before the Deuba couple left Nepal.
The Department of Money Laundering Investigation subsequently froze movable and immovable assets registered in the names of the couple, their son Jaybir Singh Deuba and some relatives. The freeze order is still in place.
The incumbent government under the Prime Ministership of Balendra Shah had issued arrest warrants against the couple at the request of the Department of Money Laundering Investigation.
The Balendra Shah government had also requested an Interpol Red Notice, but the global police network declined the bid. The Supreme Court subsequently annulled the arrest warrant on May 25. (ANI)
Nepal: Ex-PM Deuba calls for dialogue, consensus and cooperation to resolve intra-party rift upon his return
