Bhatta not to run for NRNA leadership

Almost three months before his term expires, Non-Resident Nepalis Association (NRNA) president Bhaban Bhatta has announced that he will not be running for NRNA president’s post for the second term. The election for the new NRNA ICC is scheduled for mid-October. Unlike the popular assumption, he said that he will not contest for the top seat of the NRNA ICC for second term.
Announcing through Facebook Live, Bhatta said that he is going to take a back seat of the bus — referring NRNA as a bus — from current driving seat, but has not get off the bus. “I want the natural handover of the leadership in NRNA,” he said, adding that he will handover the leadership to able candidate, and work for the betterment of the institution. “However, if the NRNA is misled from its mission, I will not hesitate to come back to the driving seat.”
Setting an example for the entire association by rising above his greed in spite of all the pressure he had received to repeat in the same post for next term, he further mentioned that he is willing to end the tradition of being in the leadership for long time, against the democratic norm. Reminiscing all the work and projects he has completed during his tenure, Bhatta said that he has fulfilled his promise of completing Shankhamul Park, NRNA Headquarters and the reconstruction of Laprak Settlement, damaged by the 2015 devastating earthquake, during his tenure.
Bhatta also expressed his gratitude towards all the supporters including media persons, organizations, government of Nepal, and political parties for supporting him during his two-year tenure.
Bhatta is the fifth president of NRNA after founder president Upendra Mahato, Devman Hirachan, Jeeba Lamichhane, and Shesh Ghale. In the midst of Bhatta’s decision to not repeat, NRNA will go to election in October to elect a new president. However, it is still not clear that who will be contesting to lead the Nepali diaspora.