Kathmandu, February 28

Amid rising politics in the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) for the organisation’s leadership post, FNCCI’s former presidents have initiated efforts to ensure that the leadership at the organisation is elected unanimously.

With FNCCI — the largest private sector representing body of Nepal — set to hold its annual general meeting (AGM) and the election for the new executive committee on April 10 and 11, industrialists across the country have been divided and are involved in politics to obtain votes in their favour or in the favour of their candidates.

However, former FNCCI presidents have started consultations with possible candidates for different executive committee post of FNCCI in the upcoming election to ensure that leadership in the organisation is elected unanimously.

“Politics within the FNCCI has been on the rise in recent years, especially ahead of elections. If FNCCI undergoes politics at this level, the organisation will lose its legacy,” said a former FNCCI president, adding that former presidents of the umbrella body are committed to ending politics at FNCCI and ensuring that the federation gets a leader unanimously in the coming years.

Former FNCCI presidents, including Mahesh Lal Shrestha, Pradeep Kumar Shrestha, Rabi Bhakta Shrestha, Padma Jyoti, Kush Kumar Joshi and Suraj Vaidhya, have been lobbying for unanimous election at FNCCI.

Under the current provision in FNCCI statute, senior vice-president will automatically become the president of the organisation in the next term. As a result, the senior vice-president’s post at the FNCCI has a major attraction.

Industrialists Chandra Dhakal and Kishore Pradhan have already announced their candidacy for the post of senior vice-president in the upcoming election, which has also resulted in the formation of two panels of industrialists in FNCCI.

“Though FNCCI should focus on addressing private sector issues in coordination with the government, industrialists today are seen busier in election and other forms of politics. This is not good,” said another former FNCCI president, adding that senior vice-president and other executive committee members should be elected unanimously as far as possible.