ANFA Elections Thrown into Chaos Amidst Suspension and Withdrawals
A cloud of confusion and controversy has enveloped the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) as its ordinary congress and elections, initially slated for Friday in Jhapa, faced significant turmoil. The situation escalated when the National Sports Council (NSC) suspended ANFA for a period of three months, citing its persistent push for early elections despite explicit warnings from state authorities. This suspension cast a long shadow over the planned electoral process, leading to widespread uncertainty among ANFA officials and voting representatives who had already converged in Jhapa.
Adding to the disarray, a significant number of individuals holding voting rights, alongside candidates vying for various positions within the association, publicly announced their withdrawal from the election on Thursday. This collective dissent highlighted deep-seated objections to the legitimacy of the electoral proceedings under the current circumstances.
A United Front Against Controversial Elections
In a coordinated move, several clubs representing the A, B, and C Divisions, along with members from various district associations, convened a joint press conference in Kathmandu on Thursday afternoon. Their message was unequivocal: they would not participate in an election for an association that has been officially suspended by Nepal’s governing body for sports.
Dirgha Bahadur KC, a presidential candidate, articulated this sentiment forcefully at the press conference. “We cannot participate in the election after ANFA’s suspension,” he stated, adding, “There are many candidates who will not participate.” KC further expressed his bewilderment regarding the practical arrangements for the election, noting, “I am a presidential candidate. But I still do not know where and when exactly in Jhapa on Friday the election will take place. I even asked the ANFA Election Committee’s Member-Secretary Lokendra Oli, but he also expressed innocence.”
KC was the sole challenger to the incumbent ANFA President, Pankaj Bikram Nembang, for the association’s top leadership position.
Further Withdrawals Signal Deep Dissatisfaction
The wave of withdrawals extended beyond the presidential race. Pema Dolma Lama, one of the ten candidates contesting for the four vice-president posts, formally communicated her decision to abstain from the election. In a letter addressed to the ANFA Election Committee, Lama declared, “I do not want to be part of an election that is mired in controversies.” Lama’s affiliation with the current ANFA administration as an executive committee member, and her notable status as the first woman footballer to score an international goal for Nepal, lent significant weight to her statement.
The Complex Electoral Landscape
The composition of the ANFA’s voting body is intricate. As per the list of voting representatives established on March 13, a total of 88 individuals were designated to cast votes. The structure includes:
- District Associations: ANFA oversees 50 district associations, each holding voting rights in the central election. Of these, 46 were included in the official voter list.
- Club Representation: Fourteen A-Division clubs are allocated one voting right each. Similarly, B-Division clubs possess 11 voting rights, and C-Division clubs hold nine.
- Other Stakeholders: Four top teams from the President League, along with associations representing players, women, referees, and coaches, each have one voting right.
The gravity of the situation was underscored by the statements of prominent figures within the football community. Karma Tsering Sherpa, president of the Himalayan Sherpa Club and a voting representative from an A-Division club, warned participants at the press conference: “If you become part of this election, you will be remembered for being part of a black day in Nepali football.”
Upendra Man Singh, president and voting representative for the B-Division’s Madhyapur Youth Association, echoed this sentiment, stating, “I cannot be part of this unconstitutional election as ANFA is under suspension from the state.”
A Postponement, Not a Resolution
Despite the mounting reservations and the official suspension, uncertainty lingered regarding ANFA’s course of action, particularly given its perceived backing from FIFA and AFC. ANFA itself maintained an uncharacteristic silence, offering no immediate response to the NSC’s suspension.
The deadlock was finally broken late on Thursday evening, at 7:01 PM, when ANFA issued a statement via its social media channels. The notice, signed by Election Committee coordinator Ramchandra Gautam, member Samjhana KC, and Member-Secretary Lokendra Oli, declared: “The election scheduled for March 27 has been postponed until further notice after receiving NSC’s March 25 suspension letter through the ANFA Secretariat on March 26.”
This marks the third occasion that ANFA’s elections have been subjected to postponement.
A History of Delays and Early Elections
The initial decision to hold the elections in Jhapa was made by ANFA’s executive committee in January, despite their four-year term, elected in June 2022, having not yet concluded. The original date was set for February 11, at least four months prior to the end of their mandate. However, interventions from the NSC and the Patan High Court led to two previous postponements, with March 27 being the most recently designated date before the latest disruption.
Defending the controversial decision to hold early elections, ANFA’s General Secretary, Kiran Rai, had stated in a January press conference: “No institution is allowed to extend its tenure beyond the rules, but it can shorten its term if it chooses to do so.”
Underlying Political Currents
However, critics suggest a deeper political motivation behind the push for an early election. Sherpa, a former ANFA president himself, posited that the early elections were intended to prevent a significant turnover in district leadership. “Around 22-23 district presidents would have been new if ANFA followed the ethics,” he explained. “And they fear they will lose if new faces come to the district associations.”
The district branches of ANFA that supported Nembang’s executive committee in 2022 reportedly still retain their current leadership. Both critics and the NSC have advocated for Nembang’s ANFA to hold its elections only after a fresh mandate has been secured at the district level.
The current postponement, while addressing the immediate crisis of the suspended election, does little to resolve the underlying issues. There is a palpable concern that FIFA and AFC may soon impose serious sanctions on Nepali football, potentially suspending ANFA altogether, on the grounds of third-party interference.
