Some 100 journalists have announced candidacy for 27 central committee posts. The FNJ election takes place every three years. The FNJ is the largest and oldest umbrella organisation of Nepali journalists.

Over 5,000 journalists are affiliated with the FNJ.

Those who have announced their candidacy are busy in campaigning.

Some are visiting voters in different media houses.

They are also using telephone calls and SMS to remind their friends of their candidacy.

Kulchandra Wagle, Dharmendra Jha, Mahendra Bista, Shiva Gaule, Shital Koirala have already announced their candidacy for the post of president.

Govinda Acharya, Balaram Baniya and Kedar Koirala, have announced candidacy for vice-president. Hemanta Kafle, Nirmala Sharma, Binod Dhungel and Poshan KC are likely to fight for the post of general secratary.

Likewise, Purna Basnet and Ramji Dahal have announced candidacy for the post of secretary and Ramesh Bista, Bijaya Ghimire and Rajendra Phuyal for the post of treasurer. Bishnu Subedi, Jagat Nepal, Ujir Magar, Dipak Pande, Rajendra Phuyal, Khil Bahadur Bhandari and Dipak Rijal have expressed their intention o contest the election for the post of central member from the Valley.

Yashoda Timilsina, Maina Dhital, Saraswati Karki and Rita Gurung have announced candidacy for the central member’s post reserved for women; Rajkumar Dikpal, Dilip Thapa Magar and Bir Man Sherpa for the Janajati quota; and Diwakar Bagchand and Govinda Pariyar for the Dalit quota.

FNJ general secretary Mahendra Bista, who intends to fight for presidentship, said he would concentrate on professionalism and implementation of the Working Journalists’ Act.

“The FNJ election is going to draw the attention of the whole country. Still, this time, most of the contenders are professional and there will be little influ ence of the political parties,” he claimed.

However, some candidates are said to be backed by the NC-affiliated Nepal Press Union and UML-affiliated Nepal Press Chautari.

And newly formed Maoistaffiliated Krantikari Partrakar Sangh has proposed two candidates this time.

“The political circle should not try to intervene in the FNJ election,” says FNJ president Bishnu Nisthuri.

The amendment to the FNJ’s constitution has reserved one member’s seat for women, Janajatis, Dalits and Madhesis in the central committee. Regionally, the FNJ has reserved two members’ seats each for farwestern, mid-western, western, central and eastern regions and the Valley in the central committee.

“Politics does not interfere in the decisions of the World Bank, as it’s a non-political global institution representing 185 countries,” they said while briefing the media before leaving for Washington after a four-day stay here.

“We respect the Nepali people’s decision,” they said.

They were here to review the country’s economic situation and social issues post-CA polls. “The visit is meant to understand situation and challenges here,” Michel Mordasini, one of the EDs, who looks after Switzerland said.

The 11 Executive Directors met PM Girija Prasad Koirala, Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, a few newly elected CA members, civil society members and the donor community representatives during their stay.

“It was a busy schedule and we held extensive discussions with the government authorities and reviewed the economic situation and social issues after the successful holding of CA polls,” he said. The high-level delegation had also held discussions on possible future areas of support like climate change, hydropower and infrastructure.

The delegates also met Maoist chairman Prachanda and second-in-command Dr Baburam Bhattarai. At the end of a ‘cordial’ meeting with the duo, the delegates laid stress on continuity of dialogue with the emerging powers in Nepal.

The delegation did not set any pre-condition for the government-in-waiting but they believed that it’s a process of a continued dialogue that they are looking forward to.

They will report to the bank’s headquarters in Washington for the future course of action in Nepal.

The directors said they were impressed with the peaceful CA polls and that the peace and development processes were on track.

UML district committee member and organisation department chief Ram Singh Rai, former district committee member Khagendra Rai and active cadres Ded Raj Basnet and Kul Bahadur Ghale were injured in the attack, Bhojpur unit of the CPN-UML said.

Ram Singh and Khagendra’s condition is reportedly critical and they were airlifted on an Army he licopter to Dharan for treatment.

Basnet and Ghale have been out of contact since the incident.

The YCL cadres thrashed the UML men after a row between the two sides when the UML side demanded release of a local UML cadre, Kedar Karki, who was abducted by YCL cadres. Karki was abducted for staying as UML’s representative at a polling booth during the CA polls. Karki has not been released yet, the UML said.

According to local eyewitness, a group of 15-20 YCL cadres attacked the UML cadres.

Issuing a press release, the UML condemned the incident, demanded the Maoists to release Karki, Basnet and Ghale; and asked the authorities to take strict action against the assailants.

YCL district secretary Shishir admitted that YCL cadres had attacked the UML men. He said he was however unaware of the cause of the scuffle and a probe into the incident was underway .

He denied that YCL cadres have abducted any UML cadre.

Meanwhile, YCL cadres attacked two UML activists in Patan VDC of Baitadi district. According to Baitadi district secretary of UML Damodar Bhandary, 15-20 YCL cadres attacked Ganga Ram Pahari and Krishna Ram Bhattarai after dragging them out of their homes for not assisting the Maoist in the CA polls.