Nepal Red Cross Society Sets Election Schedule to Resolve Long-Standing Leadership Dispute

Kathmandu. The Nepal Red Cross Society, which has been mired in leadership disputes for the past seven years, is expected to resolve its issues. Following the 18th amendment to the Society's Statute, 2020, dates have been set for elections to select new leadership at all levels.

General Secretary Min Bahadur Malla stated that the process has begun after the current working committee was tasked with amending the statute and conducting elections at all levels. According to him, ad-hoc committees have been formed at the municipal level prior to the elections. "We have formed ad-hoc committees at the municipal level to establish new branches for one month," said General Secretary Malla. "These committees will be dissolved once the elections are held and a new working committee is formed."

Sakun Kumar Joshi of the Society's General Services and Coordination Department informed that election dates for new leadership at the municipal level have been set for Baisakh 26 and Jestha 2. He stated that elections will be held in Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpashchim provinces on Baisakh 26, and in Koshi, Madhesh, and Bagmati provinces on Jestha 2.

According to Joshi, after the municipal branch elections conclude, district-level elections will be held from Jestha 23 to 30, and provincial-level elections from Ashar 6 to 13. Similarly, the central working committee election is scheduled to be completed by the end of Ashar. The Red Cross Society is also conducting a membership distribution campaign for elections at all levels.

The Society fell into controversy after regular elections could not be held in 2075 BS. Although the government formed an ad-hoc committee under the chairmanship of Dr. Netra Prasad Timsina in 2077 BS and leadership was transferred through elections in 2080 BS, the International Federation of Red Cross recommended that the government suspend the new working committee.

Based on this, the central working committee led by the then-chairman Sudarshan Prasad Nepal was suspended by the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens on Shrawan 9, 2082 BS. Following the suspension, the government formed a nine-member working committee under the chairmanship of Dr. Binod Kumar Sharma and directed it to conduct elections for local, district, provincial, and central working committees by the end of Ashar.

General Secretary Malla stated that the government led by the then-Prime Minister Sushila Karki published a notice in the gazette on Mangsir 10, assigning the responsibility for elections at all levels, and the election schedule has been published accordingly.

He mentioned that although the country moved to federalism, the Red Cross structure had not, so branches were established at the local level by amending the statute. "By amending the statute, we have aligned the Red Cross with the federal structure. We will conduct elections accordingly. After the elections, the Red Cross will return to its normal rhythm," he said.

Malla stated that the plan is to keep municipal-level branches for service delivery, district branches for coordination, and the 1,003 sub-branches across the country for coordination with municipalities.

Additionally, the amended statute includes a provision that an individual cannot serve on the working committee for more than two terms. The Society will now form five commissions: the Election Commission, Red Cross Service Commission, Mediation and Compliance Commission, Youth Commission, and Finance Commission. The Red Cross Society currently has approximately 1.2 million members.