Pressure on TU to announce FSU poll date
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KATHMANDU, FEB 26 - Nepal Student Union (NSU), the student wing of Nepali Congress, said it will launch a fresh agitation if Tribhuvan University (TU) doesn't declare the date for Free Student Union (FSU) election within a week.
A meeting of NSU office bearers on Saturday decided to stage various protest programmes starting March 5 if an election date is not decided by the time. NSU has been demanding that FSU election be held by March end.
According to NSU Vice-President Nain Singh Mahar, in order to build pressure on TU, the union will organise a mass meeting in all TU constituent colleges across the country in the first phase of the protest programme. “We will go for stern protests if our demands remain unaddressed,” Mahar said.
Despite regular meetings with the major student unions, TU has not yet fixed the date and the unions are divided over the election modality. If dispute continues, it is likely that the election will not be held on time.
There is no agreement over FSU election system as the unions are sticking to their own stances. Of 13 student unions, 10 are advocating proportional election system and two others— NSU and All Nepal National Free Student Union (ANNFSU) Sixth—have been arguing for continuation of first-past-the-post system.
ANNFSU is adopting middle path, proposing two mechanisms, an FSU Council based on proportional system and an FSU through direct election.
“However, we can support NSU decision if it helps hold election by end of March,” said ANNFSU Vice-Chairman Nawa Raj Poudel.
NSU has been arguing that election cannot be conducted on time if the present provision of direct election is changed.
However, UCPN (Maoist) affiliated All Nepal National Independent Student Union-Revolutionary and other fringe students unions seem in no mood to give up their stance on proportional system, saying that it's the only the way to ensure inclusiveness.
"The proportional system paves the way for the involvement of various groups of students which in turn will help develop the feeling of ownership in FSU," said ANNISU-R Vice-President Jagrit Rayamajhi.
Posted on: 2011-02-26 09:38
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