Disruptions in FSU eections at 8 Kathmandu Valley campuses

KATHMANDU: The Free Student Union (FSU) elections at eight constituent campuses in Kathmandu Valley have faced disruptions due to internal conflicts and administrative delays.

Several campuses have yet to finalize voter lists, while others encountered obstacles such as candidate registration issues, campus lockdowns, and factional disputes, particularly within the ruling Nepali Congress-affiliated Nepal Student Union (NSU).

According to Election Committee Secretary Pashupati Adhikari, campuses including Thapathali Engineering, Saraswati, Public Youth, Central Campus Kirtipur, Shankar Dev, Padma Kanya, Nepal Law, and Bishwa Bhasha have failed to proceed with election activities as scheduled. Efforts are underway to facilitate the process.

Key Disruptions:

• Thapathali Engineering: Locked down after nominations on Wednesday.
• Saraswati Campus: Voter list yet to be published due to disputes.
• Public Youth Campus: Candidate registration still pending.
• Central Campus Kirtipur: Locked down after nominations, with NSU factions of Sher Bahadur Deuba and Shekhar Koirala fielding separate candidates.
• Shankar Dev Campus: Voter list not published; candidate registration attempts unsuccessful.
• Padma Kanya Campus: Nomination process ongoing.
• Nepal Law Campus: Organization registration incomplete.
• Bishwa Bhasha Campus: Issues with voter list finalization.

Election committee members claim that existing FSU officials, elected in 2022, are obstructing the process to extend their tenure.

Current regulations allow a six-month extension if elections do not take place, leading to accusations that incumbent leaders are deliberately stalling the elections.