Changed Nepali Congress can change the country too: Gagan Thapa

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa has said the party should leave its 15th General Convention with renewed energy and a commitment to change the country, with the belief that a transformed Nepali Congress can transform the country as well.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the party’s 15th General Convention, Thapa said the event should not be limited to selecting new leadership but should also be an opportunity for a serious review of the party’s past, present and future direction. He said the Nepali Congress must transform itself and move forward in line with public expectations and the country’s needs.

“We have to leave this General Convention with the belief that a changed Nepali Congress can change the country too. We have to make this convention successful and leave with renewed energy,” Thapa said.

He said it was difficult to hold the General Convention simply as a celebration given the country’s recent situation. Recalling the loss of thousands of lives in the Rasuwa floods and landslides and the suffering of many families, Thapa said he did not want to hold the convention under such circumstances.

“Thousands of citizens are no longer with us because of the Rasuwa floods. We did not want to hold this General Convention, but we were compelled to do so within the constitutional and legal framework,” he said.

Thapa said the Nepali Congress must seriously reflect on recent political developments. He said politics revolving around the same leadership, positions and power for a prolonged period had created a perception among the public that all political parties and leaders were the same.

He described this pattern as “musical chairs,” saying the repeated return of the same people as prime ministers and ministers had weakened public trust in political leadership.

“Politics had become like a musical chair, sending the message that all parties and leaders were the same. This led to what happened on September 8 and 9,” he said.

Thapa said excessive politicisation had spread from social media to different levels of society. He said even everyday issues were increasingly viewed through a political lens, contributing to dissatisfaction and polarisation.

He described the events of September 8 and 9 as a consequence of this situation. He said the Nepali Congress subsequently held a special general convention to correct and strengthen itself and later accepted the people’s verdict in the election that followed.

Noting that the Nepali Congress had won and lost many elections in the past, Thapa said electoral defeat should not be a reason for disappointment. He said the current General Convention should be taken as an opportunity to chart a new course for the party.

Thapa said the party could no longer address the country’s challenges merely by highlighting its past political achievements. He said the Nepali Congress needed to seriously examine why political change had not been accompanied by corresponding economic and social transformation.

He said the country had gone through decades of political struggle and conflict without bringing the expected changes to people’s lives.