Sher Bahadur Deuba Faces Significant Date Coincidence

Kathmandu. October 18 has a remarkable coincidence for Nepali Congress's former president and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. In the past, Deuba was removed from the post of Prime Minister on October 18, and this time, the party's 15th General Convention is formally starting, marking his farewell from party leadership. After the new leadership was elected in the special General Convention held from Poush 27 to 30, Deuba, who was elected president in the 14th General Convention held in November 2078, was ousted from party power. Deuba does not accept that special General Convention as it was held without the consent of his central working committee. However, the 15th General Convention is set to be inaugurated on October 18. The working committee led by Gagan Thapa, formed from the special General Convention, had set October 16 as the date for the inauguration of the 15th General Convention. However, due to continuous rainfall from October 8 to 11 causing damage to life and property and affecting roads, the decision was made to postpone the inauguration by two days. The General Convention is scheduled to be inaugurated at 1 PM on October 18 at Khulamanch. Although Deuba does not accept the special General Convention, he will not be able to become president after the 15th General Convention due to the constitution. The Nepali Congress constitution does not allow one to be president for more than two terms. Since Deuba became president in the 13th and 14th General Conventions, he cannot become president in the 15th General Convention as per the constitution. The issue of party authenticity in Congress is sub judice in the Supreme Court. Using that pending status as a basis, the Deuba group has published a separate General Convention schedule. Nevertheless, October 18 is certain to be an unforgettable day for Deuba. The year 2059 B.S. was indeed an unforgettable day for him. On October 18, 2059, a major 'coincidence' or 'accident' occurred in Deuba's life and Nepal's democratic journey. On October 18, 2059, then King Gyanendra Shah dismissed the Deuba-led government, calling it 'inefficient'. King Gyanendra, using Article 127 of the constitution, removed Deuba from the post of Prime Minister and took executive power into his own hands for a few days. King Gyanendra also dissolved the then House of Representatives while removing Deuba. Interestingly, Deuba himself had recommended the dissolution of the House of Representatives in May 2059 as Prime Minister. As per Deuba's recommendation, King Gyanendra had already dissolved the parliament on May 8, 2059, and on October 18, he removed Deuba from the post of Prime Minister and took control of the government. Since the parliament had already been dissolved on his own recommendation, Deuba himself fell victim to the King's 'undemocratic' move. October 18, 2059, is still known among Nepal's political parties as the day they protested the 'royal move' or 'regression'. After being ousted as Prime Minister, Deuba himself stood against King Gyanendra and joined hands with the then political parties in the campaign to overthrow the King. This later gave him the opportunity to lead the democratic movement. After losing power on October 18, Deuba's political journey was full of ups and downs. He had to spend time in jail several times during the King's rule. After the end of the King's rule, he got the opportunity to become Prime Minister several times. The incident of October 18, 2059, was not just a 'day of losing power' for Deuba, but a day when his political existence was questioned. However, the wheels of history turned in such a way that the same incident helped establish him as a stronger and more mature political player. He got the opportunity to be the president of the party for two terms, despite facing a dismissal that would have stripped him of his basic membership.