Direct Voting Should be Held in NRNA General Convention: Kul Acharya

London – Former President of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), Kul Acharya, has stated that direct voting must be conducted during the NRNA General Convention.

In a live conversation with Bishnu Hari Ghimire, Editor-in-Chief of Samaj Times Online on Sunday, Acharya admitted that NRNA issues have been overshadowed by internal disputes within the association. 

He also mentioned that he has been providing constructive support to the unity convention held last May following the Supreme Court's order, as well as the newly formed executive committee led by Mahesh Shrestha.

He put forward several fundamental conditions for genuine unity within the organization. He maintained his stance that "in-person voting" (voting conducted through physical presence) must be held to prevent election rigging that occurs in the name of online or technology-based voting. 

Similarly, he stated that the delegate selection and membership system must be completely fair, and the convention should be held in accordance with the Supreme Court's directives and the decisions of the unity convention.

"We have already practiced a system during the unity convention where all Nepalis around the world can become members and delegates, candidacy can be filed for any position, and voting is done by being physically present. There is no need to deviate from that now," he said.

In the context of the upcoming elections, former President Acharya urged all political parties to prioritize the problems of 80 Lakh migrant Nepalis and their role in national development in their election manifestos. He also stated that the trend of leaders giving assurances while abroad but showing no interest in implementation after returning to Nepal must end.

Strong Objection to New Rules

Acharya expressed strong objections to the new rules introduced by the government regarding the distribution of Non-Resident Nepali (NRN) ID cards. While submitting a memorandum to the Nepali Embassy in London, Acharya stated that millions of non-resident Nepalis worldwide are in trouble due to the short-sighted decisions of the bureaucracy.

For the past 15 years, Nepali embassies had been distributing NRN cards on the same day once the necessary documents were provided. However, according to the latest circular from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a long process similar to obtaining citizenship has now been established for getting an NRN card.

According to Acharya, a provision has been introduced where records of the concerned person’s renunciation of citizenship and passport must be verified by the District Administration Office to obtain the card. 

He informed that due to this process, files could take years to move from the Embassy to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then to the Home Ministry, and finally to the District Administration, resulting in a complete halt of card distribution from embassies worldwide.

"In the era of technology, where cards should be issued online, work has been done to trouble citizens by creating cumbersome rules," Acharya said.

He expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the Non-Resident Nepali citizenship, which includes economic, social, and cultural rights as provided by the constitution, has not yet been fully implemented. 

Acharya, who received the first NRN citizenship from then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', said, "It has been two and a half years since receiving citizenship, but due to the lack of regulations and legal clarity, it has so far remained merely like a 'scrap of paper'."

He noted that even those who have received citizenship still face old legal hurdles in transferring land, making investments, or conducting business in Nepal. 

He mentioned that because of this, the trend of Nepalis living abroad selling their property in Nepal and taking the money abroad has increased, causing significant economic loss to the country.