The Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA), the umbrella organization of recruitment companies, is preparing to elect a new leadership at the end of April. NAFEA Chairman Bal Bahadur Tamang has announced that the polls will be held on April 26.

Tamang’s tenure is expiring on April 11 after a two-year-long turbulent leadership marked by recurring controversies. He survived two no-confidence motions by the NAFEA’s dissident faction. The election announcement comes just a week after the Appellate Court issued a stay order in response to Tamang’s petition not to execute an earlier decision of the Kathmandu District Administration Office (DAO) to replace him until it reaches a final decision.

On Feb 6, the DAO had appointed Hansa Raj Wagle as the NAFEA’s new chairman by validating the dissident faction’s impeachment motion despite the establishment faction’s claim that many signatures were fake. The court summoned the dissident faction on Wednesday for further consultation.

The NAFEA has called a general assembly of its members on April 25, a day before the election. Tamang claimed that the election date had been announced to send a clear message to his fellow entrepreneurs that he was not hungry for power.

“I was planning to hand over the leadership to another committee, but that could not happen due to controversies. It would have been better if we had resolved the dispute internally,” said Tamang. NAFEA sources said that both factions are holding talks to withdraw the court case after the announcement of fresh elections. Meanwhile, various panels have begun internal campaigns to secure their place in the new executive committee.

NAFEA members said that both the factions had launched discussions to pick a candidate for chairman as it was unlikely that there would be a consensus nominee. Sources said that older chairmen including Hansa Raj Wagle were aspiring to assume the post again.

“A majority of the old faces are preparing to join the race. Some even include past chairmen and executive members. The association looks divided on the basis of their loyalty to political parties and the stature of their business,” said a NAFEA member.

As Tamang prepares to bid farewell to his office, stakeholders including NAFEA members said he did little despite issuing big promises. Internal disputes and non-cooperation by fellow executive members hindered his plan to establish a welfare fund for workers and construct the association’s own office building.

He even sparked a controversy by publicly declaring that around 99 percent of the recruiting agencies had been resorting to fraudulent activities to send workers abroad. During a joint meeting of foreign employment stakeholders, he said such activities would continue to thrive until legal loopholes were plugged and a strong anti-corruption mechanism was introduced.

Despite representing a flourishing business sector, the NAFEA is often criticized for failing to maintain the integrity of its member agencies. The association has not been able to conduct organizational reform nor do much to promote safe migration.

Published on: 4 April 2014 | The Kathmandu Post