A meeting of the TU executive committee decided to postpone the poll by 10 days as the preparations were not over, said the TU Vice Chancellor Hira Bahadur Maharjan. The committee meeting held for two consecutive days on Saturday and Sunday has also prepared a work schedule to conduct the election in fair manner.[break]
The TU had announced on April 5 that the FSU poll would be held on May 27. The university had earlier decided to hold the election on April 8.
The special senate of TU last month had also amended some regulations related to the FSU election as demanded by the student unions affiliated to various political parties. As per the amendment, the FSU poll would be held under a mixed system.
Similarly, the new amendment also fixed the age limit for candidates, which would be effective from 2015 onwards. But the amendments were challenged at the Supreme Court on April 18. Later on April 21, the apex court stayed the TU amendment, which also caused the delay in completing the election preparation within the timeframe, said the TU VC Maharjan.
Student leaders from 14 campuses, including Nepal Law Campus, Padma Kanya Campus and Tri-Chandra Campus had moved the SC arguing that the TU´s decision does not have any legal ground. They had claimed that the age limit for students contesting student union election should be removed as there is no age bar for continuing one´s studies.
The senate, led by TU Chancellor and Chairman of the Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi, amended the TU regulation on Organization and Educational Administration to include new provisions as per which the posts of vice-chairman, treasurers and 50 percent members in each constituent college would be elected through proportional system, while remaining posts would be elected through direct electoral system.
Similarly, the TU senate also set the number of members in each FSU panel between 11 and 21, depending on the number of students in the TU constituent colleges, said Ganga Bahadur Thapa, chief of the TU Student Welfare and Sports Council. Earlier, the FSU executive committee comprised of between 7 and 15 members.
The TU was not able to hold the FSU polls since 2011 following the dispute over electoral system, as 14 student unions were advocating for a proportional electoral system, while the three others had been lobbying for the continuation of the simple majority system. The CPN-UML-aligned ANNFSU had opted for a mixed system.
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