Rabin Sherchan Unanimously Elected Senior Vice President of NRNA After Withdrawing Presidential Bid

Kathmandu. Rabin Sherchan has been unanimously elected as the Senior Vice President of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) during its 12th General Convention. He agreed to step down from his bid for the presidency to unite the organization, accepting the position of Senior Vice President.

 Sherchan, a successful businessman based in Japan and considered a strong contender for the presidency, stated that he withdrew his candidacy for the greater good and unity of the organization, accepting the Senior Vice President role.

The General Convention, which began on Saturday and concluded on Tuesday with the announcement of the new executive committee, reportedly included an agreement that Sherchan would lead the organization in the 13th General Convention. The path to consensus-based leadership opened after Sherchan's various proposals were agreed upon in discussions with stakeholders, including outgoing presidents Badri KC and Mahesh Shrestha, during the convention.

One point of consensus was a clear commitment that Sherchan would hold the post of Senior Vice President for the current term and take the leadership in the next term. In accordance with this agreement, he became the Senior Vice President after necessary provisions were made in the bylaws.

Previously, when announcing his candidacy for the 2025-27 term presidency, Sherchan had initially unveiled his 15-point commitment letter under the main theme of 'Strong Organization, Firm Unity: Our Campaign.' Having made Japan his base for a long time and held various responsibilities within the association, he had pledged to end internal conflicts within the organization and bring all Non-Resident Nepalis under one umbrella by advocating for the concept of 'One Mind, One Organization.'

His agendas prioritized the issue of citizenship and voting rights for Non-Resident Nepalis. He emphasized removing complexities in the implementation of Non-Resident Nepali citizenship granted by the constitution and enforcing the Supreme Court's mandamus order allowing Nepalis residing abroad to vote.

Furthermore, equal pension and rights for ex-Gurkhas, social security for workers in foreign employment, and the effectiveness of the 'Labor Desk' were among his key agendas.

Under the economic agenda, his goal was to expand the 'NRNA Development Fund' to NPR 25 billion and connect small investors and workers in foreign employment through IPOs.

He had also promised to bring radical changes to the membership distribution and electoral system by holding a bylaw convention within six months of his election. It is reported that the newly elected President, Hemraj Sharma, will now advance all these agendas.

Sherchan, born in Mustang and coming to Kathmandu via Pokhara for higher education, moved to Japan about 35 years ago. He is now a successful Nepali businessman in Japan. He has contributed to NRNA for over 15 years.