A row, which surfaced immediately after the FNCCI election in April, reached its climax on Friday, with a number of members boycotting the executive committee meeting, seeking Pandey’s resignation.

Among those boycotting the meeting were Senior Vice-president Pashupati Murarka and Vice-president Shekhar Golchha. Sources say only 35 of the 68 central committee members attended the meeting held in Dhulikhel after Murarka and his team left. After the meeting was over, FNCCI’s immediate past president Suraj Vaidya organised a press meet at FNCCI

headquarters in Teku, Kathmandu, where he also sought Pandey’s resignation.

According to Vaidya, clause 9 of article 44.1 and 46.3 of the FNCCI statute clearly bars Pandey from continuing as president. “The issue of Pandey’s legitimacy had arisen even before the election. But I kept quite as

he said he had proof against

the charge. I had asked him, in a letter, to prove his innocence,

but he hasn’t  answered so far,” said Vadiya.

FNCCI has been in turmoil ever since Pandey’s election as president. Pandey was sent to three years in jail and slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 on corruption charges in June 1982 when was accountant at the then Water Supply Corporation.

The faction led by Senior Vice-president Muraka argues Pandey has to vacate the position as the FNCCI statute clearly mentions a person having faced criminal charge cannot assume the president’s position. But the

Pandey faction is of the view the demand for resignation has be discussed at the executive committee meeting.

After the Supreme Court on last Tuesday asked the defendants, including Kathmandu District Court (KDC), not to arrest Pradeep Jung Pandey due to the lack of clarity whether the jail sentence against Pandey was revoked, the tension among the committee members intensified further. Pandey’s jail term had been revoked by the then King Birendra Shah on November 20, 1985, through a royal decree.

Murarka says the FNCCI statute’s eligibility criteria for president states a man having faced criminal charge cannot assume the position. The statute also states on three conditions — if the president dies, files a resignation or has faced criminal charge — the position shall remain vacant, he added. “This way, the post of president is already vacant. Pandey needs to clear the way now,” said Murarka.

Vice-president Golchha said they patiently waited for Pandey to resign. “But he did not, and we were forced to take the stern move,” he said. “An issue which is more than three decades old should not be raised now if you think morally. But how can an institution function strongly if it does not abide by the

statute? That’s why we’ve have asked the president to step down,” Golchha said.

In response to the allegations, Pandey said the case against him is subjudice. “The recent Supreme Court verdict has clearly mentioned the case is under judgement,” Pandey said. “Moreover, if some of the executive committee members want me to step down, they need to put forward the issue at the meeting, and it needs to be endorsed by the majority.”

He said Friday’s meeting cannot be said as boycotted as members had not signed the attendance sheet. “They have not signed the attendance sheet. This means, they were not present in the meeting. How can those absent boycott a meeting?” Pandey said.

FNCCI Vice-president Kisore Pradhan, who is close to Pandey, said the case should have been reviewed before the election. “Those who’re questioning Pandey’s legitimacy  should have reviewed the case prior to the election. Once elected, the president should be not be bothered over an issue that is under judgment in our legal system,” Pradhan said.

The FNCCI dispute has also dragged in the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where Vaidya is senior vice president. Pandey recently recommended former FNCCI president Pradeep Kumar Shrestha for the post. The Pandey faction claimed Vaidya had not discussed his nomination with the then executive committee.

However, Vaidya said he is not worried about Shrestha’s recommendation. “I have been involved with FNCCI for the last 27 years and I have been working to protect the merit of this institution. There is no point being associated with SAARC Chamber of Commerce against the FNCCI statute and the FNCCI itself,” said Vaidya.

One of the influential FNCCI members said if Pandey does not resign, they will seek legal solution. And, if he resigns, Murarka will take the charge and hold an election within the next six months, the member said.

Meanwhile, Friday’s central committee meeting took some crucial decisions. According to Pradhan, Anjan Shrestha and Krishna Sharma were nominated as executive committee members.

Shrestha, who had contested the FNCCI election from the associates’ category, was defeated. And, former presidents Chandi Raj Dhakal and Kush Kumar Joshi were nominated as special members.

A taskforce for the amendment of FNCCI statue was formed under the leadership of Dhakal, according to sources. The taskforce has been asked to complete the job in six months.

The faction against the

president, however, is of the view the appointments are illegal as the president himself is “illegitimate”.