There is no sign of an end to the infighting in the Nepali Congress party. Internal squabbles within the ruling continue to paralyse the government. And that is likely to be the case until the party\'s 10th general convention in November.

That meeting will elect a new party president and the race for leadership is hotting up. Sher Bahadur Deuba has more or less announced his candidacy against Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who is also the party president. In March, Koirala had prevailed over Deuba in the race for prime ministership, but Congress sources say that Deuba is likely to consolidate his position as the convention approaches. The last time Koirala was challenged for the post of party president, his only opponent. Chiranjibi Wagle, had secured 18 percent of the votes.

Deuba has the overwhelming support of repre sentatives from his region, far-west Nepal, but his mentor, former prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, has never been a great organiser or a vote-getter. Critical thus would be the support of another key Congress leader from mid-west Nepal, Khum Bahadur Khadka, now a senior minister in Koirala\'s cabinet. The only problem is that Khadka, along with Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Paudel, is a candidate-in-waiting should Koirala decide not to contest.