NRNA on the verge of vertical split as Panta-led committee circulates election schedule unilaterally

Kathmandu: Non-Resident Nepali Association, NRNA’s election programme has been published without resolving the longstanding dispute over the list of delegates.

Nepal Mamila has learned that NRNA’s caretaker president Kumar Panta announced a list of 3,600 delegates on his own accord whilst the high-level committee, chaired by Chief Patron Dr. Shesh Ghale, has been working on to find a solution to be accepted by all parties.

Dr. Shesh Ghale, also former President of the NRNA, had sent a letter to the election committee objecting there were only 2,600 delegates qualified to vote, and the list was finalised by an investigation committee joint by President Panta himself. However, it’s been learnt that election committee, coming under the influence of Mr Panta, has now announced the list of 3,600 delegate.

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Mr. Kul Acharya, one of the presidential candidates, said that there was no point in advancing the election program by unilaterally nominating the candidates.

“Our sense of unity and flexibility towards finding a solution should not be assumed as our powerlessness. Such a move is sure to push the organization towards division” said Mr. Acharya. Mr.

Panta’s move now has indicated that the working committee headed by him is going to hold a one-sided election amid the controversy that has reached the courts and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs due to what is called “the ILO scam” and “being partisan while approving the list of election delegates”.

Over two-thirds of National Coordination Councils (NCCs) who virtually met last Sunday called for a by-election only after resolving the differences over the delegates issue, saying a one-sided election would not solve the problem.