Kathmandu, February 12

A dispute over the selection of convention representatives delayed the closed session of All Nepal National Free Students Union during the union's 22nd national general convention today.

The closed session, scheduled to begin at 12:00, kicked off at 5:00 pm due to the dispute. The closed session could begin after Gokarna Bista and Rabindra Adhikari of ANNFSU along with two contenders for the union’s chairperson agreed to sort it out through consensus before the election.

Of around 1,500 convention representatives, dispute persists between some 200 representatives from six district committees, namely Kathmandu, Bara, Morang, Chitwan, Nawalparasi, Jumla and Sunsari as well as some regional committees such as Gandaki, Mechi and Mahakali. During the closed session, the general secretary and treasurer presented their reports amid the convention representatives.

Mahesh Bartaula, secretary of ANNFSU, said they will begin the election process tomorrow. Currently two panels close to PM KP Sharma Oli and senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal are contending for the leadership.

Nabina Lama, general secretary of the union, is contending for the post of chairperson from Oli panel while Deepak Gautam, vice president of the union, is contending for the same post from Nepal panel. Similarly, Abdul Hussain Khan and Ain Mahar are contending for the post of general secretary. The convention had begun yesterday.