Kathmandu: The Nepali Congress is preparing to postpone the General Convention for three months. The party president and prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has done his homework to hold the general convention in November on the advice of the Election Commission.

Deuba has not been able to speak formally as leaders including senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel have been insisting that the schedule of the convention should not be shifted without a legal basis. Leaders of the establishment party have agreed to postpone the convention.

Deuba had been saying that the general convention would be held on the scheduled date a few days ago. Deuba seems ready to move the general convention as he is trying to resolve the growing transition of covid-19 and the dispute over active membership. On Friday, Deuba told the young leaders who had reach to meet him that he was consulting with the Election Commission on the option of postponing the convention. “I will discuss within the party in consultation with the Election Commission,” said Jeevan Pariyar, a central member who attended the meeting, quoting Deuba.

Deuba is hesitant to bring an alternative proposal without Poudel’s consent as he can make an issue he does not want to hold a general convention. Poudel and some of his party leaders have been saying that extending the term from outside the legal system would put the party at risk.

To avoid that, they have the option of forming an ad hoc committee for a short time through a special general convention. According to the constitutional provision, the election of the Central and provincial Working Committees should be made compulsory by the political parties within five and a half years. The Congress constitution has a term of only four years. But the period without a general convention is coming to an end in five and a half years from September 8. There is no constitutional provision to extend the term after that.

The leaders have also held discussions with some legal practitioners. There is a provision in the Political Parties Act that the time for holding a general convention can be extended up to six months after paying a fine of Rs 50,000. Leaders say that taking such a path would increase the risk as the provision is in conflict with the constitution. Laws that conflict with the constitution are invalid. Leaders have also begun discussing options to base last year’s Supreme Court order to count the time of the lockdown to zero. The court’s order came in the wake of a tax deadline.