Kathmandu, December 15
Nirmala Sharma has secured victory as the president of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), marking the first time in the organization’s 69-year history that it will be led by a woman.
Most candidates from Sharma’s panel have also been elected to central office positions and as central members, ensuring her leadership’s strong presence in the federation. However, the treasurer position is likely to go to Ram Krishna Adhikari, a leader from the Bista panel and associated with the Press Center.
Voting for the new FNJ executive committee was held on Friday, with the counting process beginning immediately after the polls closed at the FNJ central office in Sinamangal. By Sunday morning, most of the counting was completed, but the official results are yet to be announced.
According to Chiranjibi Khanal, coordinator of the central election committee, the results will be officially declared after reconciling data sent by district and provincial offices. “We expect to officially announce the results by 12 or 1 PM today,” he stated.
Preliminary tallies indicate that Sharma is set to win with a margin of over 1,000 votes. She was the joint candidate of the Nepal Press Union and Press Chautari Nepal.
Sharma’s main competitor for the presidency was Ramesh Bista, backed by a faction of the Union along with the Press Center and Socialist Press Organization. Other candidates included Devi Prasad Sapkota and Lal Singh Lama.
The majority of central members elected are also from Sharma’s panel, further solidifying her leadership within the federation.
