Election Fever Heats Up at FCAN's 13th Convention

Kathmandu. The nomination process for the 26th Annual General Meeting and 13th Convention of the Federation of Contractors' Association of Nepal (FCAN) concluded on Wednesday, the second day of the event.

The convention, which began in Kathmandu on Tuesday, has reached a fever pitch as candidates finalized their nominations for the new leadership. Voting is scheduled for Thursday.

The election features a fierce contest between two main panels. Senior Vice President Ang Dorji (AD) Lama and contractor Nicholas Pandey have announced their candidacies along with their respective teams.

The Lama group, emphasizing experience, has fielded Roshan Dahal for Senior Vice President, NP Sherpa for Associate Vice President, Shiva Hari Ghimire for General Secretary, and Balaji Shrestha for Treasurer. Lama has made the amendment of the Public Procurement Act his primary agenda. General Secretary candidate Ghimire is an experienced figure who previously served as Deputy General Secretary of the Federation.

The Pandey group, running on a platform of youth energy and change, has fielded Mukesh Pant for Senior Vice President, Dhirendra Dahal for General Secretary, and Ujjwal Gautam for Treasurer. Pandey has pledged to resolve the bottlenecks in the construction sector and push for the repeal of clauses in the Public Procurement Act that are unfavorable to contractors.

Both experienced and youth factions are vying for the Federation's leadership. AD Lama, with his extensive experience, and Nicholas Pandey, representing the youth, are the key contenders. While Lama is considered strong due to his experience, Pandey is expected to garner support from younger contractors.

Roshan Dahal and Ramji Pant (Mukesh) are competing for the Senior Vice President position. Dahal is seen as strong due to his previous experience as General Secretary, while Pant is recognized for his business-oriented approach. Similarly, Narahari Thapariya and NP Sherpa are competing for the Associate Vice President position.

Balibhadra Rana and Shiva Hari Ghimire have filed nominations for the General Secretary post. Rana is known for his business acumen, while Ghimire is an experienced professional who has previously served as the Federation's Deputy General Secretary.

Lamichhane's Strong Stance for Policy Reform

Amidst the rivalry between the two major panels, Lamichhane has independently presented his candidacy, focusing on policy clarity and resolving contractors' issues. With 28 years of experience in the construction sector, Lamichhane has also served in management at the government-owned National Construction Company Nepal (NCCN) for six years.

He has put forward his election agenda by claiming expertise in resolving policy issues related to the Public Procurement Act and the construction sector. Mangal Shahi, Ashok Kumar KC, and Rajkumar Bastakoti are also competing for the same position, though analysts suggest their experience is less extensive compared to Lamichhane.

The race for Internal Deputy General Secretary will see competition between Engineer Santosh Sah, Chandrashekhar Malla, and the experienced Suvit Shrestha. For the Treasurer position, Balaju Shrestha, known for his business efficiency, is competing against Ujjwal Gautam, who brings both work experience and youthful energy. The Assistant Treasurer position has attracted young leaders like Upendra Kumar Ghising and Dinesh Bahadur Singh.