Kathmandu, April 5

At present, businesspeople from across the country are engaged in the final rounds of meetings to finalise the candidates to vote for, as the countdown to the election of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) has begun along with registration of candidates.

A total of 112 candidates have filed their candidacy for the 64-member executive team. As the amended FNCCI statute has provisioned that the senior vice-president will automatically be elected as president for the next term, the entire race of the FNCCI election has been led by the candidates vying for the post of senior vice-president.

One of the major objectives to amend the FNCCI constitution was to keep the organisation free from politicisation to strengthen the organisation, according to its President Pashupati Murarka. “This will provide a grooming period for the next president and also minimise politicisation in the organisation.”

At a glance

Shekhar Golchha

Kishore Pradhan

Vision

•Collaborate with government to move

towards higher growth trajectory

•Lobby for the rights of industrialists,

businesspeople

Vision

•Lobby with government for policy reforms,

infrastructure development

•Protection of the industrialists,

businesspeople

Strength

•Active in FNCCI since 10 years

•Currently serving as vice president (associates)

•Legacy of Golchha family (Nepal’s first industrialists)

Strength

•Active in FNCCI since 18 years

•Currently serving as vice president

(district and municipal chambers)

Supporters: Ravi Bhakta Shrestha (former president), Chandi Raj Dhakal (former president), Pradeep Kumar Shrestha (former president), Pashupati Murarka (incumbent president), Bhawani Rana (president-elect)

Supporters: Binod Bahadur Shrestha

(former president), Kush Kumar Joshi (former president), Suraj Vaidya (former president), Bhaskar Raj Rajkarnikar

(former senior vice-president) 

However, the politics that was involved during the presidential race in FNCCI in the past has now just shifted to the race for the senior vice-president in this election. Those vying for the post of senior vice-president have declared their candidacy with their respective panels and the same level of engagement of its former presidents like in the past can be witnessed this time too.

Two Vice-presidents, namely, Kishore Pradhan and Shekhar Golchha are in the race for next senior vice-president. FNCCI, at the moment, is literally divided into two panels and supporting panel members to woo supporters. The division created during the election usually lasts for a pretty long time due to the hurt egos and that has particularly been making FNCCI weak. The clash between the presidential candidates during the 2014 election badly affected the organisation and diluted the voice of largest private sector umbrella body.

“The delegates from the district and municipal chambers as well as associates, commodities and bi-national chambers need to make a wise decision to strengthen the organisation,” said Ananda Raj Mulmi, former president of FNCCI. “Members should vote for the candidates of the respective posts on the basis of their agenda, leadership quality and dedication to the organisation.”

Mulmi further said that the objective of the FNCCI is to advocate for the rights of the private sector and private sector-friendly laws, policies and treatment from the government. “Those who are in the leadership and those vying for the top posts of FNCCI must introspect on reviving the reputation of FNCCI rather than engaging and promoting groups, factions and their own vested interests,” he added.

Mulmi, who is not favouring any sides in FNCCI election, has opined that the involvement of the past presidents and patrons should be in creative works, to keep discipline and to strengthen the organisation instead of creating divisions among the aspirants to take leadership.

However, many of the past presidents, incumbent president and even president-elect are openly engaged with particular groups. Among the two candidates vying for the post of senior vice-president, whoever is elected will serve at the top post of FNCCI for the term 2020-23.