Rajkarnikar panel announces candidates
KATHMANDU, MAR 22 -
Election fever has gripped the private sector, with a panel led by senior vice-president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry ( FNCCI ), Bhaskar Raj Rajkarnikar announcing his and his panel’s candidacy for the next executive committee.
With just three weeks to go for the FNCCI election, the Rajkarnikar-led panel announced candidacy for president and
four vice-presidents on Friday amid a function. The annual general meeting (AGM) to be held on April 11-12 will elect a new FNCCI leadership.
While Rajkarnikar is the presidential candidate, current Vice-president Pashupati Murarka is vying for senior vice-president.
Other candidates for vice-presidents are DB Basnet (representing district and municipality chambers), Udaya Raj Pandey (representing commodity associations) and Shekhar Golchha from the associates (business houses).
Another panel led by current Vice-president Pradeep Jung Pandey is yet to announce candidacies from his panel, but he has confirmed that he will stand for president and current Vice-president Bhawani Rana will run for senior vice-president.
Dinesh Shrestha from commodities associations and Kishor Pradhan from districts and municipality associations are also in the race.
“We are yet to decide candidates from associates as two-three friends are seeking candidacy,” said Rana. She said it will take at least a week to announce candidacy from their panel as they are currently busy in selecting candidates from different regions.
Announcing candidacies from his panel, Rajkarnikar said his candidacy is natural given the FNCCI tradition of senior vice-president usually becoming the president. He said his agenda for the upcoming the executive committee was winning the hearts of the business community across the country.
The Rajkarnikar panel has come up with a slogan of “prosperous economy, strong private sector”, and has made the strengthening of the private sector its main agenda.
Other agendas of the group are increasing the participation of the private sector in decision making, further empowering regional, zonal and district chambers by amending the statute of the FNCCI and transforming the structure of its local chambers as per the federal set up of country in the long run.
Development of the energy sector and commercial farming, promotion of small, medium and big enterprises, and creating employment within the country are other agendas of the panel.
On the other hand, Pandey’s panel has made bringing reconciliation at the FNCCI as its major agenda amid growing factionalism. Rana said a united FNCCI , decentralisation of power and inclusion of the private sector’s agenda in the new constitution are other agendas.
Current president Suraj Vaidya and former president Ananda Raj Mulmi have thrown their weight behind Rajkarnikar, while other former presidents Chandi Raj Dhakal and Kush Kumar Joshi have stood behind Pandey’s panel.
There are 91 commodity associations, 93 district and municipality chambers of commerce and industries, more than 700 associate members of the FNCCI .
Candidates from Rajkarnikar Panel
Post Candidate
President Bhaskar Raj Rajkarnikar
Senior Vice-president Pashupati Murarka
Vice-president DB Basnet (District/Municipalities)
Vice-president Udaya Raj Pandey (Commodity Association)
Vice- president Shekhar Golchha (Associate)
Candidates from the Pandey Panel
Post Candidate
President Pradeep Jung Pandey
Senior Vice-president Bhawani Rana
Vice-president Kishor Pradhan (District/Municipality
Vice-president Dinesh Shrestha (Commodity Association)
Vice-president Yet to be decided (associate)
Source: The Kathmandu Post
