KATHMANDU, JUNE 08

Senior tourism and aviation entrepreneur Nima Nuru Sherpa is all set to lead the country's only alpine club – Nepal Mountaineering Association – as the ruling alliance and main opposition party endorsed his candidacy, observers say.

NMA is scheduled to hold its election of the executive board on May 10 and 11 while Sherpa-led panel has been endorsed by all parties – Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN- Unified Socialist and CPN-Maoist Centre among others, according to former NMA president Ang Tshering Sherpa.

According to the election committee, Nima Nuru Sherpa from the all-party panel and an independent candidate Rajendra Man Shrestha filed their candidacy for the post of NMA president yesterday.

'All parties have endorsed Nima Nuru and his panel to create a history in the mountaineering sector,' Thakur Raj Pandey, a candidate for the post of senior vice-president, said, adding that this was the first time in the history of NMA that all political parties come together to field a common panel.

More than 1200 voters will take part in the election process to choose the new executive committee, according to the election committee.

From Nima Nuru's panel, Thakur Raj Pandey has filed candidacy for the post of senior vice-president, Ang Dawa Sherpa for the post of first vice-president, Dawa Yangzum Sherpa as second-vice president, Mohan Lamsal as general secretary, Dhan Bahadur Gurung as secretary and Mukti Pandey for the post of treasurer. Singi Lama, Pitambar Gurung, Rajendra Lama, Ram Chandra Dhamala, Namgyal Jangbu Sherpa, Nurbu Chhiring Sherpa (Lama), Pasang Dawa Sherpa, Dinesh Tamang, Durga Devi Shrestha, Doma Sherpa and Nima Doma Sherpa have also filed their candidacy for the post of executive committee member of the NMA.

Announcing his candidacy, Nima Nuru Sherpa said that he would be a true leader of the country's mountaineering fraternity and work for the betterment of the tourism and mountaineering sector. 'We will work to enhance NMA's strength for the conservation of Himalayan environment, in addressing the concerns of the mountaineering community and reforming policies and guidelines as well as for the wellbeing of climbers, guides and mountain workers,' Sherpa said. Sherpa had already served the NMA as its first vice president. 'Efforts are still underway to bring a unanimous team to the NMA,' he added.

Similarly, an independent panel was announced by a group of mountaineers and tourism entrepreneurs for the NMA election. Though the panel has no candidate for NMA presidency, woman climber Maya Sherpa has filed her nomination for the post of senior-vice president.

In Maya's panel, Nuru Jangbu Sherpa, Sarki Tamang, Ang Pemba Sherpa, Shiva Bahadur Sapkota and Furi Gyaljen Sherpa have filed their candidacy for the post of first vice-president, second vice-president, general secretary, secretary and treasurer respectively. 'We are an independent panel,' candidate for NMA secretary Sapkota said.

In Maya's panel, Kanchha Nurbu Sherpa, Lakpa Dendi Sherpa, Dawa Tashi Sherpa, Ang Dawa Sherpa, Furdiki Sherpa, Dabuti Sherpa, Luckme Tamang, Pemba Sherpa, Chenga Chhiring Sherpa and Pasang Sherpa and Kisan Gurung are the candidates of executive committee member. 'We will work for the betterment of mountaineering sector,' Maya, who is the first vice president of NMA, said, adding that they were contesting election for all posts except the NMA president.