Kathmandu, October 15
Upendra Mahato, the founding president of the Non-Resident Nepali Association, has announced that he boycotted the ninth general assembly of the organisation of Nepalis living abroad.
The convention began in Kathmandu this morning and President Bidya Devi Bhandari inaugurated the event, but Mahato, who still holds the position of chief patron of the organisation, did not show up.
He said he decided to boycott the event after the NRNA leaders divided themselves between various political groups, which according to him was against objectives of the organisation’s establishment. Two persons–Kul Acharya and Kumar Panta–have announced their candidacy for the position of the president for the next two years and they are reportedly representing the democratic and leftist sides respectively.
“I was absent due to unnecessary political interference,” he said, “I am not saying that there should not be any election, but this time, the interference is too much.”
“It is my belief that the NRNA should be free of any political domination.”
