NAFEA, the umbrella organisation of recruitment companies, is holding the election on April 26.

NAFEA sources said the association has clustered into two different factions with incumbent Chairman Bal Bahadur Tamang heading one camp. The other camp is headed by Hansa Raj Wagle with support from former chairmen Somlal Bataju and Prem Katuwal. The probable contenders for the top post in Wagle’s camp include Kiran Kishor Ghimire, Gyan Prasad Gaire and Wagle himself, while Tanka Raut, Saroj Pokherel and Tamang himself are in the race from the opposition camp.

NAFEA sources said both the factions have begun internal talks for a consensus to name one candidate each. “Since its going to be a tough competition, each camp is careful to pick up a common name. They are working for a consensus,” said a source.

NAFEA representatives said the two factions are also seeking an alternative of the election by picking up a consensus chairman. However, it looks unlikely due to the long-existing rivalry between Tamang and Bataju that took a nasty turn when the later twice made unsuccessful bids to bring down Tamang’s leadership. Contenders from both the factions admitted that they are going to face a tough competition from the opposition, but expressed confidence about their victory.  

“It’s true it’s not going to be an easy victory, but our internal calculation shows we will win by a slight margin,” said Raut, who is also existing vice chairman of NAFEA. “The current leadership has won trust of many manpower entrepreneurs for taking initiatives to make the industry clean and transparent.”

Contenders from the Wagle faction said their victory is certain as many NAFEA members are angry with factionalism encouraged during Tamang’s tenure. They claimed they are likely to get support from entrepreneurs who backed their bid to impeach Tamang a few months ago. “Our victory is certain if we manage to pick a trustworthy face from within the contenders. But we must be careful of not losing a prominent face,” said a source close to Wagle.

NAFEA Chairman Tamang said it will still take some time to predict the winner and said he is ready to run for chairman if he gets enough support. Tamang’s tenure is expiring on April 11 after a two-year turbulent leadership marked by recurring controversies. He survived two no-confidence motions by the dissident faction.

Despite representing a flourishing sector, NAFEA is often criticised for failing to maintain the integrity of its member agencies. The association has not been able to conduct organisational reforms or do much to promote safe migration.