12 student unions ask TU to conduct FSU poll

KATHMANDU, April 22: Twelve student unions affiliated to various political parties have decided to go for Free Student Union (FSU) polls that have been lingering for six years.

The meeting of the unions on Wednesday included the Nepal Student Union, ANNFSU, and ANNISU-R, among others, decided to urge the Tribhuvan University (TU) to announce a fresh poll date in accordance to the edict of the Supreme Court to conduct the poll within three months."The unions are ready to go for the poll under the existing provision of the TU Act unconditionally," said ANNISU-R Coordinator Ramesh Malla.

A division bench of Chief Justice Ram Prasad Sah and Justice Cholendra Shumser Rana had issued the verdict on Tuesday in response to a writ filed by one Bimal Pokhrel that sought the court's mandamus, arguing that the colleges were vulnerable to irregularities of the FSU units in the University's constituent colleges, due to delays in new elections.

FSU has been mandated to hold elections at TU constituent colleges since 1980 as per the TU Regulations on Organization and Educational Administration 1994, which were modified in 2001.

Now that the apex court directs the varsity to hold the poll on the given deadline, TU officials have said that the student unions' attitude delayed the poll in the past but the authorities are prepared to announce the fresh date at present.

"The poll still depends on the students' attitudes, if they are ready to practice the democratic norm of selecting the representative at their respective colleges," said Ganga Bahadur Thapa , Chief at TU Department of Student Welfare.

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