Bimal Dhakal elected Nafea president

KATHMANDU, July 4:

Bimal Dhakal has been elected as president of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (Nafea). Dhakal secured 237 out of 648 votes in an election held for the leadership and executive committee of Nafea on Thursday.

Dhakal replaces outgoing president Hamsa Raj Wagle at the umbrella organization of foreign employment agencies of the country. Dhakal led a panel representing Democratic Foreign Employment Entrepreneurs' Forum -- foreign employment agencies' group close to Nepali Congress.

Dhakal's nearest rival Saroj Kumar Pokharel received 213 votes while another candidate -- Kiran Kishor Ghimire -- bagged 190 votes.

Likewise, Kumud Khanal, Bahadur Pandey Chhetri and Muktinath Adhikari have been elected as the first vice president, second vice president and third vice president, respectively.

Rohan Gurung, Rajendra Bhandari and Pratima Maharajan were elected as general secretary, secretary and treasurer respectively. While Khanal and Maharjan are from the Dhakal-led panel, Pandey, Adhikari and Bhandari are from the Pokharel-led panel.

Som Tamang, Prakash Acharya, Dipak Sinjali, Pushparaj Chaulagai, Asagar Ali, Tej Maya Limbu and Chetu Baba Pokhrel are the new executive committee members elected from the Dhakal-led panel while Ramila Tamrakar, Shukra Pakhrin, Sachin Sherchan and Sarswoti Gurung are new executive members elected from Pokhrel's panel.

No one from a Ghimire-led panel was able to win a seat on the executive committee.

Talking with Republica after his victory, Dhakal said his immediate priority in Nafea would be to work in favor of foreign employment agencies and migrant workers. "The government has been trying to introduce a bio-metric test requirement, and free airfare and visa to the foreign-bound workers. Though it sounds like it would be beneficial to the workers, it is not what the government is telling us. The government's plan adds extra financial burden on the workers and agencies," Dhakal said. "Thus, the new executive committee will intensify talks with the government toward solving these contentious issues."

Source: Republica