Washington DC. The high-level inquiry committee, which was formed to study the case of electoral fraud supposed to take place a year and four months ago in the election of Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) America, has eventually received its complete set of members. The committee had been formed after the association’s International Coordination Council (ICC) received numerous complaints regarding manipulation in the election.

The committee formed by General Secretary Hem Raj Sharma, as per the decision of the NRNA ICC, had appointed Rajan Tripathi as the coordinator, but the committee itself had not been complete.

On September 29, 2020, after having been approved by General Secretary Sharma, members have been added to the committee giving it a complete form. The functions, rights and duties of the committee have been defined by the general secretary.

Following are the members of the committee:

1. Coordinator – Rajan Tripathi, Regional Coordinator for Americas.
2. Member – Krishna Lamichhane, HCM, ICC; outgoing board member, NRNA NCC America.
3. Member – Prakash Sapkota, HCM, ICC; outgoing ICC member, America.
4. Member – Shiba Hari Nepal, member, NRNA, America.
5. Member – Naba Raj Rosyara, Ex-Chair, NRNA NCC Germany.

ICC has instructed the committee to start the investigation immediately and submit the report within two months, coordinator of the  investigation committee Tripathhi informed DCNepal. He hoped that the committee would get help from all.

A case had been filed in the American court regarding the controversial 2093 votes cast in the NRNA election. Coordinator Tripathi has called upon the disputing parties and requested them to help in the investigation. “The committee shall work impartially and accomplish its task,” he told DCNepal.

The vote rigging carried in the election creating 2093 proxy voters will be the subject of inquiry. Though the 2093 voters could not be verified, their names had been put in the electoral roll and votes had been cast.

The then NCC leadership, thus, had dragged into controversy the 2093, whose names had been in the voters list, without the IT committee and the verification committee for the election verifying them. Surya Lamsal, contending for the presidential post in the election, had demanded to halt the election. The election, however, was conducted without listening to his complaint.

Eventually, the incumbent President Sunil Shah won with a margin of 2093 votes exactly. Since then, Lamsal had been repeatedly complaining at the ICC. It is said that the present inquiry committee has been set up to address his complaint.