Government forms high-level committee to investigate NRN election irregularities

KATHMANDU: In response to reported irregularities in the election process of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), the Nepalese government has established a high-level committee to conduct an inquiry.

The decision to form the committee was announced three months after the 11th General Convention of the NRNA, held online in Kathmandu last October, revealed planned irregularities in the election process. The committee was officially formed during a cabinet meeting, with the coordination of the Attorney General’s Office, headed by Deputy Attorney General Dhruba Kumar Chauhan.

The committee, consisting of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Under Secretary for Accounts, and a senior police officer, has been given a 15-day mandate to conduct the investigation.

This move follows a contentious leadership selection process that escalated after Dr. Badri KC’s group took a forceful oath following the discovery of serious technical glitches during the online voting for new leadership after the 11th General Convention. This led to a further split within the NRNA.

In the aftermath of the online voting, Mahesh Kumar Shrestha and RK Sharma, competitors for the presidency, rejected the election results, citing irregularities in the online system implemented by an Australian company. The chairpersonship dispute prompted Shrestha to form a separate committee under Sharma’s leadership.

With the NRNA divided into factions following the 10th Convention, held separately, the government has yet to officially recognize the organization’s reformation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserts that the institution’s restructuring has not been authorized since its registration in October 2013. Meanwhile, the Badri KC group, without official recognition, has warned against the misuse of the organization’s assets.

The formation of the high-level committee by the government signals a renewed effort to address the internal disputes within the NRNA and ensure transparency in the election process.